Russia and the Congo on 24 May signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of atomic energy, following the talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Congo President Denis Sassou-Nguesso. This follows a memorandum of understanding on nuclear cooperation signed in February 2018 between Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom and Congo’s Ministry of Scientific Research and Technological Innovations. Cooperation extends to a number of areas, such as development of Congo’s nuclear infrastructure, development of programmes to increase public awareness of nuclear technologies and their application, the use of radioisotopes and radiation technologies in industry, agriculture and medicine, and the training and education of personnel. It is planned to elaborate a project for the construction of a Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology (CNST) including a Russian supplied research reactor. Earlier, on 16 May, a road map was signed in Moscow to establish Russian-Rwandan cooperation in the peaceful uses of atomic energy, which identifies specific activities by the end of this year to launch the project for the construction of a similar CNST in Rwanda.
