Algeria is ready to conclude a peaceful nuclear energy cooperation agreement with Russia

18.04.2008 // Prime-TASS

Algeria is ready to conclude a peaceful nuclear energy cooperation agreement with Russia

Algeria is ready to conclude a peaceful nuclear energy cooperation agreement with Russia, Minister of Energy and Mines of Algeria Chakib Khelil said while speaking at the opening of a branch of Sonatrach national oil company. He said that a delegation from Moscow will visit Algeria for that purpose in late Apr. 

This will become a practical step towards the implementation of the bilateral agreements reached during the last visit of the Algerian President to Moscow.

Khelil said that Algeria had drafted a necessary legislative framework for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. By 2018 Algeria is planning to build a nuclear power plant. Khelil said that Sonatrach would play the key role in the development of nuclear power engineering in the country. That company ensures 98% of Algeria’s currency revenues. Presently, Sonatrach is the 12th biggest oil company in the world but in the near future it is planning to go into the top ten.

Algeria has nuclear energy cooperation agreements with the United States, France, China, Argentina and South African Republic.