Burundi is counting on technical assistance from Russia for the construction of small nuclear power plants, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a news conference following talks with Burundi’s Foreign Minister Edouard Bizimana. Lavrov came to Burundi as part of a working trip to Africa, after visiting Ethiopia, Niger and Mozambique.
“Regarding the projects we discussed today…these are, first and foremost, the hydropower projects we proposed…and of course, the nuclear energy sector: nuclear power plants and small-scale nuclear power plants, in which many parties are interested, including our friends from Burundi. They have signed a memorandum with our company, Rosatom, and training for Burundian nationals is already underway at relevant universities in Russia to prepare personnel for Burundi’s future peaceful nuclear energy sector,” he said.
Burundi and Russia signed an intergovernmental agreement on peaceful nuclear energy cooperation in 2023 during the Russia-Africa Summit in St Petersburg. The agreement provided for assistance in the creation of Burundi’s nuclear infrastructure, legal regulation, basic research, and the production of radioisotopes and their use in industry, medicine, and agriculture. In addition, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Rosatom and the Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research of Burundi on cooperation in education and training of personnel for the nuclear power industry. In November 2022, Russia and Burundi had signed a roadmap on building dialogue in peaceful nuclear development.
