Tunisia and Russia have signed a memorandum of understanding that outlines their intent to cooperate on the use of nuclear power for electricity generation and for other peaceful purposes involving medicine, agriculture, spent fuel management. The agreement also covers training technicians for these endeavors.
The agreement was signed at the 2015 Atomexpo conference with Rosatom deputy director general and director for international business Nikolai Spassky representing Russia and the Tunisian ambassador to Russia Ali Gutali.
In remarks to reporters, Gutali said that Tunisia – like a growing list of other Middle Eastern and African countries – is trying to reduce its dependence on oil. Nuclear power was cost effective and environmentally clean, he said.
He also said Tunisia relied on developed countries, like Russia, to help them advance “in the area of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.”
Rosatom called the signing a first in Russian-Tunisian relations. “The MOU envisages the formation of a working group to determine joint projects that will contribute to the implementation of Tunisia’s plans to establish a national nuclear energy sector, as well as other joint projects of mutual interest,” Rosatom said in a statement.