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MOSCOW, Mar 25 (IPS) - After years of diplomatic negotiations, Russia
and Egypt finally signed an agreement Tuesday that paves the way for
cooperation in the civilian nuclear energy sector.
The agreement was signed during a visit by Egyptian President Hosni
Mubarak.
A tender for construction of Egypt's first nuclear power plant is
expected to be announced this year. The project is estimated to be
worth up to 2 billion dollars.
Egypt also plans to build another three nuclear power plants with an
aggregate capacity of 1,800 MW in a bid to meet its energy needs and
diversify energy sources, thereby allowing hydrocarbon reserves to
last longer.
Russia, seeking to develop high technology sectors to reduce its
dependence on oil and gas exports, has signalled interest in building
a nuclear plant in Egypt.
The agreement was signed between Sergey Kiriyenko, head of Rosatom,
the state nuclear energy corporation and Egyptian energy minister
Hassan Younes. It also envisions personnel training at nuclear
facilities in Egypt, and nuclear fuel supplies to the country.
Russia's nuclear power equipment and service export monopoly
Atomstroyexport is currently building five nuclear power plants in
China, India and Iran worth 4.5 billion dollars. The company has also
won a tender to build a plant in Belene in Bulgaria. Talks are under
way to build nuclear plants in Morocco, Vietnam and South Africa.
A Kremlin source also pointed to a pilot project for creation of a
special Russian industrial zone in Egypt. Egypt has reportedly offered
Russian companies preferential tax rates to bolster its automotive and
aviation sectors.
A spokesman at the Federal Nuclear Agency that oversees government
nuclear projects at home and abroad told this IPS correspondent
shortly after the official signing ceremony late Tuesday afternoon
that "Russia is preparing to help many more African countries
gradually with solving their high technology and energy problems, but
who are incredibly looking elsewhere."
"These frequent visits by African leaders such as this one underscore
the fact that there is a wide range of economic prospects for
cooperation and development between the two continents," head of the
Group of African Ambassadors (GAA) in Moscow Melrose Kai-Banya told
IPS.
The negotiations also confirmed Russia's preparedness to further
strengthen bilateral relations through using nuclear energy for
peaceful purposes, she said.
"Mubarak's visit signifies further development of traditional
relations between Russia and Egypt, and also between both leaders of
the two countries. It demonstrates once again Russia's intention to
broaden ties with different continents and regions," Prof. Vladimir
Shubin from the Moscow-based African Studies Institute told IPS.
Egypt is at the heart of the Arab world and a leading African nation,
and its international importance cannot be overestimated, he said.
Russia and Egypt also found common positions on such burning issues as
the situation in Palestine, the U.S. military intervention in Iraq,
and the tension around Iran, Shubin said.
Egypt had long ties with the former Soviet Union. Those resulted in
several development projects in late 1950s including the building of
the Aswan dam.
Speaking after talks with Mubarak, outgoing Russian President Vladimir
Putin said the deal "opens up new horizons for bilateral cooperation."
Putin said "Egypt is one of Russia's strategic partners. Our relation
is really comprehensive politically and economically, and we will
further develop our economic ties."
Mubarak, a former pilot, received training in what is now Kyrgyzstan,
and studied at the Soviet Military Academy in Moscow in the 1960s.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41727
and Egypt finally signed an agreement Tuesday that paves the way for
cooperation in the civilian nuclear energy sector.
The agreement was signed during a visit by Egyptian President Hosni
Mubarak.
A tender for construction of Egypt's first nuclear power plant is
expected to be announced this year. The project is estimated to be
worth up to 2 billion dollars.
Egypt also plans to build another three nuclear power plants with an
aggregate capacity of 1,800 MW in a bid to meet its energy needs and
diversify energy sources, thereby allowing hydrocarbon reserves to
last longer.
Russia, seeking to develop high technology sectors to reduce its
dependence on oil and gas exports, has signalled interest in building
a nuclear plant in Egypt.
The agreement was signed between Sergey Kiriyenko, head of Rosatom,
the state nuclear energy corporation and Egyptian energy minister
Hassan Younes. It also envisions personnel training at nuclear
facilities in Egypt, and nuclear fuel supplies to the country.
Russia's nuclear power equipment and service export monopoly
Atomstroyexport is currently building five nuclear power plants in
China, India and Iran worth 4.5 billion dollars. The company has also
won a tender to build a plant in Belene in Bulgaria. Talks are under
way to build nuclear plants in Morocco, Vietnam and South Africa.
A Kremlin source also pointed to a pilot project for creation of a
special Russian industrial zone in Egypt. Egypt has reportedly offered
Russian companies preferential tax rates to bolster its automotive and
aviation sectors.
A spokesman at the Federal Nuclear Agency that oversees government
nuclear projects at home and abroad told this IPS correspondent
shortly after the official signing ceremony late Tuesday afternoon
that "Russia is preparing to help many more African countries
gradually with solving their high technology and energy problems, but
who are incredibly looking elsewhere."
"These frequent visits by African leaders such as this one underscore
the fact that there is a wide range of economic prospects for
cooperation and development between the two continents," head of the
Group of African Ambassadors (GAA) in Moscow Melrose Kai-Banya told
IPS.
The negotiations also confirmed Russia's preparedness to further
strengthen bilateral relations through using nuclear energy for
peaceful purposes, she said.
"Mubarak's visit signifies further development of traditional
relations between Russia and Egypt, and also between both leaders of
the two countries. It demonstrates once again Russia's intention to
broaden ties with different continents and regions," Prof. Vladimir
Shubin from the Moscow-based African Studies Institute told IPS.
Egypt is at the heart of the Arab world and a leading African nation,
and its international importance cannot be overestimated, he said.
Russia and Egypt also found common positions on such burning issues as
the situation in Palestine, the U.S. military intervention in Iraq,
and the tension around Iran, Shubin said.
Egypt had long ties with the former Soviet Union. Those resulted in
several development projects in late 1950s including the building of
the Aswan dam.
Speaking after talks with Mubarak, outgoing Russian President Vladimir
Putin said the deal "opens up new horizons for bilateral cooperation."
Putin said "Egypt is one of Russia's strategic partners. Our relation
is really comprehensive politically and economically, and we will
further develop our economic ties."
Mubarak, a former pilot, received training in what is now Kyrgyzstan,
and studied at the Soviet Military Academy in Moscow in the 1960s.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41727
