Russian officials have begun to make the public case for partnering with Egypt to help the North African country built its first nuclear power plant.
Last week, Egypt announced it would begin soliciting bids in January for a reactor at Dabaa on the Mediterranean coast. According to the World Nuclear Association, Egypt has pursued nuclear power unsuccessfully at various points since the 1950s, going so far as to sign a contract with Bechtel and then WorleyParsons in 2009 to help with site selection and preparing a tender. This year, the country approached Russia for a renewal of an earlier nuclear cooperation agreement, and Egypt also signed a similar agreement with South Korea.
Russia's foreign minister on Tuesday told Russian media that his country is "prepared to back numerous projects in Egypt, including nuclear energy." Daily News Egypt reported that his comments follow a visit to Egypt with other Russian ministers last week.