Three memorandums of understanding (MOUs) were signed between Rosatom and the Burkina Faso Ministry of Energy, Mines & Careers on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2024),
The MOUs covered education and training in the field of nuclear energy; the assessment and development of nuclear infrastructure; and the formation of a positive public opinion regarding nuclear energy. The documents, signed by Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev Burkina Faso Minister of Energy, Mines & Careers Yakub Zabre Guba, fix the framework conditions for cooperation in these areas in order to develop a national programme for the peaceful use of atomic energy.
In particular, specific steps are being taken to build human resources for the Burkina Faso nuclear industry. Efforts will be made to develop the interaction of specialised educational institutions, including the organisation of joint short-term educational programmes, teacher training, the development of educational and scientific literature, and student exchange.
The parties also intend to determine the current needs for the development of the nuclear infrastructure of Burkina Faso. The work will be conducted in accordance with the approaches and recommendations of the IAEA, as well as the best practices of Rosatom.
The document on cooperation on issues of positive public opinion involves the implementation of measures aimed at raising public awareness of the benefits of nuclear technologies and non-energy applications of atomic energy (in particular, in medicine and agriculture).
Cooperation between Rosatom and Burkina Faso began in October 2023, when a MOU on nuclear energy cooperation was signed on the sidelines of the VI Forum Russian Energy Week in Moscow. In March 2024, on the sidelines of ATOMEXPO-2024, a roadmap was signed for the development of Russian-Burkini cooperation. Following the formation of the international legal framework for cooperation, the parties intend to work out the issue of implementing nuclear generation projects and non-energy use of radiation technologies in agriculture and medicine in Burkina Faso.
