WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th December, 2020) Zambia is currently completing preparations for the creation of the Center for Nuclear Science and Technology (CNST) with assistance from Russia, Russian Ambassador to Zambia Alexander Boldyrev told Sputnik.
Boldyrev said that Zambia and Russia held the first online meeting of their bilateral coordination committee in September as part of the implementation of the provisions of the intergovernmental agreement on the CNTS construction.
"The parties assessed the progress of the CNST project, the development of the regulatory framework, personnel training, and touched upon plans for a feasibility study for the construction of a full-fledged nuclear power plant. The participants agreed that all the listed areas of activity require the earliest possible achievement of practical results. The representatives from Zambia promised to complete the formation of the necessary legislative framework by the end of this year," Boldyrev said.
The diplomat added that the coordination committee convened again in mid-December, this time in a live format.
"The details of the meeting have not yet been specified, but, as we know, after the visit of Rosatom specialists to the republic, the Cabinet of Ministers of Zambia approved the preparation of a policy on the peaceful use of the atom, which is another step forward," Boldyrev stressed.
Boldyrev also assessed CNST as one of the key Rosatom's projects in the framework of enhancing Russian-African cooperation.
"Despite the certain economic difficulties in the country, the corporation is taking all necessary measures to maintain the dynamics of the project for the construction of the center. The Zambian partners were offered approaches providing for the optimization of the project financing structure and the implementation of the first stage of work at the expense of the customer. Specific proposals were included in the draft supplementary agreement to the general contract," Boldyrev noted.
In November, Zambian Ambassador to Russia Shadreck Luwita told Sputnik that Zambia will prioritize the CNST construction in the hope it will help ensure food security and boost medical research. Zambia has already moved ahead with the plan, identifying the construction site and conducting engineering surveys, Luwita added. However, 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. On the other hand, the plan to build the much-touted nuclear power plant will be shelved to give the economy a breathing space.
Boldyrev pointed out that Zambia is an export-oriented country with a strong commodity-oriented economy, stressing that the Zambian economy continues to be based on the mining sector (16 percent of GDP, of which copper accounts for 12.2 percent) and, above all, metallurgy.
The ambassador noted that the revenues from the sale of copper and cobalt account for up to 70 percent of all foreign exchange earnings, de facto determining the financial position of the country and making it directly dependent on world quotations for natural resources.
"Deposits of copper ores along the watershed of the Congo and Zambezi rivers [450 km-long and 45-75 km-wide] secured the status of the world's leading miners and main exporters of 'red metal' on the Black Continent to the Republic of Zambia and the DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo]. The North-Western province and the Copperbelt province are Zambia's centers of the metallurgical industry [accounting for70 and 30 percent of production respectively]," Boldyrev explained.
Boldyrev went on to say that in addition to copper, the bowels of Zambia are rich in precious and semi-precious minerals, including emerald, beryl, garnet, amethyst, aquamarine, and there are also large deposits of malachite and quartz, while gold and silver are found among the precious metals.
"Zambia remains extremely interested in attracting foreign expertise for integrated exploration and development of the country's mineral resources. At present, the republic is facing certain difficulties in the lack of proper skills and equipment when carrying out prospecting and appraisal works and geological and technological mapping of deposits. Most of the existing copper mines were founded during the colonial period," the ambassador said.
Boldyrev pointed out, however, that the Zambian government is currently making active efforts to attract foreign direct investment in the exploration of gold and uranium deposits.
"The extensive experience of the Russian companies in this area can be a significant incentive for our participation in the development of the most attractive fields," Boldyrev said.
According to the ambassador, Russia's upper chamber speaker Valentina Matviyenko's February visit to Zambia was a milestone in the development of bilateral ties.
"Particular importance is attached to the fields of agriculture, mechanical engineering, geological exploration, medicine, and nuclear energy. Zambia's leadership and its business community, traditionally demonstrates a trust towards Russia as a reliable business partner and ally. Nevertheless, there is a certain problem of positioning Zambia on the part of Russian entrepreneurship as Terra Incognita in the absence of proper advisory and information support," Boldyrev added.
The diplomat stressed that the current level of trade and economic relations between Russia and Zambia, cannot be currently assessed as high or corresponding to the existing potential, despite the attractiveness of the South African region for the Russian business community, although it has increased significantly over the past year,
The ambassador recalled that Zambia ranked 115th among all foreign economic partners of Russia, with the volume of foreign trade at the level of $98 million in 2019.
Boldyrev concluded by saying that such year-on-year progress was made possible due to the defense contracts and the supply of Russian equipment to Zambia.
