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Atomex-Africa forum of nuclear-industry suppliers to be held in Johanesburg

JOHANNESBURG, November 25, 7:45 /ITAR-TASS/. An Atomex-Africa forum of nuclear-industry suppliers will be held on Monday in Johannesburg, the largest financial and economic center of the Republic of South Africa.

Representatives of government bodies of South Africa, as well as major nuclear-industry players, including the Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa, are expect to participate in the forum which will be also attended by Sergei Kiriyenko CEO of the Rosatom state corporation. The key purpose of the forum will be to develop a relationship between Russsa and South Africa.

"Sergei Kiriyenko will make a working tour of South Africa where he will hold talks with Ben Martins, South African Minister of Energy," a source at the Rosatom's communications department said.

It had been reported earlier that Russia plans to build new atomic power plants in South Africa. This refers to eight power units with VVER water-water reactors with an aggregate power of up to 9.6 gigawatts. Documents to this effect are expected to be signed at the Atomex-Africa forum, the proceedings of which will be divided into a plenay session and two panel discussions, one of which will be dedicated to experience gained and to prospects for co-production arrangements between Rosatom and foreign companies.

In March, Russia and South Africa signed a number of documents, including those about strategic partnership, and an agreement on cooperation in the field of energy. A Rosatom press service official said Russia is prepared to give technical and financial assistance in implementing the programme for building nuclear power facilities in the republic.

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