Japanese trading house Itochu Corp. said Wednesday it plans to sign an agreement with an Uzbekistan government committee on cooperation in uranium this week.

The signing will coincide with a three-day visit to Uzbekistan by Akira Amari, Japan’s minister of economy, trade and industry, scheduled from Friday.

During the visit, officials from Itochu and Uzbekistan’s national geology and mineral resources committee will sign the agreement.

The Nikkei reported in its Wednesday morning edition that Itochu will begin talks this summer with Uzbekistan based on the agreement, on mining exploration, investment amounts and prospective uranium supplies.

Itochu is the world’s second largest uranium trader by volume, selling about 4,000 metric tonnes a year, according to the company’s Web site.