Russia invites Namibia to cooperate in production of nuclear fuel – Putin also interested in projects in the diamond industry
Sochi – Russian President Vladimir Putin invited President Hage Geingob to establish cooperation in production of uranium fuel, accordinf to the Russian News Agency.
According to the Russian leader the development of mineral resources, in particular, uranium resources of Namibia could be an important part of the interaction in the energy sector.
Moscow forgave more than US$20 billion of Africa’s debt to Russia, said Putin.
“Russia ranks fifth in the world among producers of uranium raw materials. Russia, as a world leader in nuclear energy, nuclear fuel production, and Namibia, as the largest producer of uranium, could establish close cooperation and become good partners,” the Russian president said at a meeting with his Namibian counterpart.
Putin added that Russia is also interested in projects of Namibia’s diamond industry. According to him, “there are potentially interesting proposals in the diamond complex.”
“Our largest producer of rough diamonds, Alrosa, is ready to host a Namibian delegation in Moscow to discuss issues of mutual interest,” Putin said.
Among possible areas of cooperation he named “joint exploration of areas potentially rich in vanadium, copper, gold, and other minerals.”
“There is a legal basis for it – in 2016, an agreement was signed on cooperation in the field of geology and subsoil use, a memorandum of understanding between Zarubezhgeologia and a Namibian company,” Putin noted.
The Russian leader also recalled that the United Carriage Company is negotiating with a company from Namibia the modernization of the country’s railways, the supply of freight cars and components.
“The possibility of large-unit assembly on the spot right in your country is also being considered,” Putin told the Geingob.
Among other promising projects, the Russian president named “the construction of ground-based infrastructure for air travel”, cooperation in hydropower and the agro-industrial sector.
“It implies importing Namibian agricultural products, in particular meat and fish products. We are also counting on the possibility of deliveries of our livestock products to Namibia, and the expansion of exports of grain and fertilizers to Namibia from Russia,” Putin said. (Russian News Agency).
Caption: Russian President Vladimir Putin and the President, HE Dr Hage Geingob at the first session of the Russia-Africa Summit (Photograph by Namibia Presidency).
