Africa

Rwanda enters into nuclear science centre deal with Russia

Rwandan Government has signed a deal with the Russian public nuclear group, Rosatom, to establish the first-ever Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology (CNST).

The agreement was signed by Minister for Infrastructure Claver Gatete, Alexey Likhachev, on behalf of Rwanda and the Director General of Russian State-owned nuclear group, Rosatom. official reports said on Thursday, 24 October 2019.

It said that the centre will also feature six multi-purpose sections; Research Reactors and Lab Complex, Centre for Nuclear Medicine, Multipurpose Irradiation Center, and Radiobiology Laboratory and Greenhouse.

Other sections will include Education and Training Complex and Radiation Material Science Complex, reads part of the official statement issue in Kigali.

The sectors to be impacted by the development include medical research, energy, agriculture, security, industry and exploration, education, geology and the environment.

In order to implement the above areas of cooperation, the agreement provides for the creation of a joint coordination committee; implementing selected projects and scientific studies; peer exchange
programmes, seminars and conferences, and other such opportunities and frameworks for exchanging scientific and technical research,.

Other areas of cooperation include supplying equipment, materials, and components. In the long-term, the agreement allows for the possibility of constructing an Ethiopian Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame was part of the group of African heads of state who took part in the Russia-Africa Summit and Economic Forum which was held from 23 to 24 October 2019 in Sochi.

Speaking at the occasion, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for trade with African countries to double over the next four to five years and said Moscow had written off African debts to the tune of
over 20 billion dollars.

– APA