Kazakhstan President Kassam-Jomart Tokayev is preparing a gift for Vladimir Putin's birthday, the value of which is estimated at 15 billion dollars – nuclear power plant near Almaty, NEXTA reported.
On October 6, 2024, Kazakhstan will hold a referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant, and on October 7, Putin's birthday, the results will be announced. NEXTA spoke to Nataliya Sadikova, head of Kazakhstan's opposition media outlet BASE. According to her, Putin has been lobbying for the construction of this nuclear power plant near Almaty for a long time.
„This is Putin's fetish that he wants to realize”, Sadikova said.
The plant is planned to be built on the territory of a unique nature reserve, on the shore of Lake Balkhash. According to Sadikova, the construction of the nuclear power plant will not only cost about 15 billion dollars, but will also have serious environmental consequences for the unique ecosystem of the lake. The water temperature in the lake is expected to rise by several degrees, which would be deadly for its inhabitants.