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Russia keen to help Egypt get nuclear power

Other News Materials 2 November 2006 12:48 (UTC +04:00)

(Reuters) - Russia will use a visit by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak that began yesterday to pitch for lucrative contracts to help Egypt launch an atomic energy programme.

Egypt has ordered studies into building nuclear power stations after Mubarak said in September nuclear energy was a cheap and clean energy source and called for national dialogue on the issue, reports Trend.

Russia's state atomic energy agency, Rosatom, said it was having preliminary discussions with Egypt.

Russian security council secretary Igor Ivanov confirmed Russia was interested in Egypt's nuclear stations. I expect that Egypt will announce an international tender and that, in competitive conditions, Russia will be successful, he said.

Egyptian Trade Minister Rachid Mohamed Rachid, on a visit to Moscow last month, said his government wanted to discuss nuclear co-operation with Russia.

A Rosatom spokesman said the Egyptian government had asked the agency's export unit, Atomstroiexport, to submit a presentation. We have presented information to Egypt about what we can build, not in the form of a tender application, but general information, he said.

Atomstroiexport is building reactors in China and India, as well as the Bushehr reactor in Iran. It has landed a contract to build a new nuclear plant in Bulgaria worth up to $5,1bn.

Rosatom chief Sergei Kiriyenko wants his agency to pick up a growing share of the global market for nuclear power plant construction.

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