KEY
CONCLUSIONS
Russia and Africa are
connected by a long-term partnership in nuclear energy
«Our
specialists have been working on the African continent for several decades. In
recent years, this work has been given a new boost both in terms of its form
and content», said Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom State Atomic
Energy Corporation.
«Historically,
Russia has been working very closely with the African continent in nuclear technologies.
This relationship has existed for more than 55 years», said Khethiwe Nkuna,
Head of Corporate Citizenship and Inclusion and Diversity Lead at Accenture.
«We
have fully established the regulatory framework with a third of African
countries, all the way up to the contractual framework. Half of them already
have and are actively discussing specific joint projects with us, which are
stipulated in a contract», Likhachev said.
Nuclear technologies are
an integral component for effective development
«Today,
we not only possess nuclear technologies, but are also doing everything we can
to increase the role of nuclear technologies in the technological landscape of
the future», Likhachev said.
«Nuclear
technologies are a very important tool in the development and drafting of
sustainable development goals», said Najat Mokhtar, Deputy Director General and
Head of the Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications at the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
«We
have a dream: we want to become a highly developed country by 2035 and a
country with a high standard of living by 2050. Nuclear energy should be the
main driver for achieving the goals facing our country», said Claver Gatete,
Minister of Infrastructure of the Republic of Rwanda.
«There
are other aspects of nuclear technologies that have made us pay great attention
to them. These include modern technologies, such as artificial intelligence,
robotics, and the Internet of things. All this is our future and where we
should be heading. These technologies are very important to us, especially in
the mining sector», said Roland Msiska, Head of the Zambia Atomic Energy
Agency.
Demand for nuclear energy
is steadily increasing
«We
are seeing a steady increase in demand for nuclear energy because we have industrialization
and urbanization, the population is growing, and the government is striving to
improve the quality of life of the Egyptian people. These have all become
important factors in the development of our nuclear programme», said Amged
El-Wakeel, Chairman of the Board of the Egyptian Nuclear Power Plants
Authority.
«Egypt
recognizes the importance of nuclear energy as an important component in the
energy balance», El-Wakeel said.
PROBLEMS
Food shortage
«If
you look just at our losses in agriculture, it’s around 30% every year. Nuclear
technology will fix this», Msiska said.
«One
fifth of Africans have food shortages today, and technology can help in this.
We need to use new technologies that can lead to the greater productivity of
certain food crops», Mokhtar said.
«We
must ensure our food security. Accordingly, we need food products that we can
eat on our own and export them in accordance with international standards. I
don’t know how we could avoid the use of nuclear energy in this process»,
Gatete said.
Energy shortage in Africa
«We
believe that demand for nuclear technologies is most acute on the African
continent in particular [...]. The challenges that we usually work with and
respond to are the most acute in African countries and require immediate solutions.
The continent, which is among the richest in terms of mineral reserves, has an
energy shortage today, and in some countries this deficit is catastrophic»,
Likhachev said.
Lack of necessary funding
«Nuclear
energy is reliable, clean, and safe. The only obstacle to the expansion of
nuclear energy in Africa is the lack of adequate funding», El-Wakeel said.
SOLUTIONS
Development of a
strategic partnership
«We
have a lack of nuclear energy. We are very happy that today our government
signed an agreement with Rosatom. We have concluded an intergovernmental
agreement on cooperation in nuclear technologies. The main reason that we have
signed this agreement is that we will install an experimental reactor, and this
will require certain personnel and support», said Getahun Mekuria Kuma,
Minister of Innovation and Technology of the Federal Democratic Republic of
Ethiopia.
«We
realized that it is essential to find a strategic partner who can help us get
through the necessary processes. That is why we reached out to Rosatom», Msiska
said.
Establishing an
environment of mutual trust and responsibility
«There
will never be any development in international relations or in the economy if
there is no meaningful desire to offer one’s own direction for development or
if the receiving party has no desire to implement this in concert and in the
format of political trust in one another. In this case, these two signals
coincide», Likhachev said.
For more
information, visit the Roscongress Information and Analytical System at roscongress.org
