The Russian state nuclear power firm Rosatom has been securing various projects to develop Africa's energy future

Russia and Mali have agreed to expand cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, Rosatom announced on Tuesday. The deal with the Russian state nuclear power firm covers infrastructure development, joint projects in healthcare and agriculture, and the training of specialists from the West African country.

"Signing this agreement marks a significant milestone in the strategic partnership between Russia and Mali," Rosatom head Alexey Likhachev said. He added that the deal would support Mali's energy and scientific development while "opening up wide-ranging opportunities for both countries."

The agreement follows Monday's meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mali's interim president General Assimi Goita, where Putin highlighted promising areas for future cooperation, including geological exploration, natural resources, energy, logistics, and humanitarian fields. 

The two countries have been strengthening ties, with an initial memorandum on nuclear cooperation signed in October 2023 paving the way for this latest deal.

NovaWind - the wind energy division of Rosatom - is working with the government of Mali to build a 200-megawatt (MW) solar power plant near the capital, Bamako. Last year, the company's director, Grigory Nazarov, said the $217 million facility would boost the country's electricity production by 10%. 

One of Moscow's top foreign policy priorities is to actively develop partnerships with African countries, Anton Kobyakov, an adviser to Putin, said in February. The director of the Africa Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, Anatoly Bashkin, stated that Rosatom was playing a crucial role in securing the continent's energy future. 

Last October, neighboring Burkina Faso signed an agreement with Rosatom for the construction of a nuclear power plant, following a request made by its interim leader, Ibrahim Traore, to the Russian president at the second Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg.

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Rosatom started building the fourth power unit of the El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant in Egypt in January. The project, launched in 2017, is being financed jointly by Moscow and Cairo, while Rosatom will supply nuclear fuel to the facility throughout its entire life cycle. For the first ten years, Russia is expected to provide Egypt with assistance in training personnel and operating the plant.