Zambia will prioritize the construction of a center for nuclear science and technology in the hope it will help ensure food security and boost medical research, Zambian Ambassador to Russia Shadreck Luwita told Sputnik in an interview
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th November, 2020) Zambia will prioritize the construction of a center for nuclear science and technology in the hope it will help ensure food security and boost medical research, Zambian Ambassador to Russia Shadreck Luwita told Sputnik in an interview.
Russia and Zambia held a videoconference in September to discuss the plan to build a multipurpose nuclear research center with the help of Russia's atomic energy agency Rosatom.
"We are talking about irradiation of agricultural produce, so that food security is guaranteed in the country, as well as also potential export of agricultural produce to the European market as well as to the neighboring countries. For the medical purposes the issues are sterilization of medical equipment in hospitals, as well as manufacturing of isotopes; they are used in the treatment of cancer. This medical laboratory will serve this purpose and will be a game changer for the country indeed," the diplomat said.
Zambia has moved ahead with the plan, identifying the construction site and conducting engineering surveys, Luwita added.
"So it's now for the Joint Coordination Committee to revise the timeline because of the time that has been lost as a result of the lockdown. The date of the next meeting will be communicated through the diplomatic channels very soon," he said.
The coronavirus pandemic and the drought made the Zambian government move the construction of an irradiation center to the top of its agenda, the ambassador said. Contrarily, the plan to build the much-touted nuclear power plant will be shelved to give the economy a breathing space.
