ABU-DHABI, October 30. /TASS/. Egypt considers the talks with Russia on construction of Dabaa, the country’s first Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), to be quite efficient, Electricity and Renewable Energy Minister Mohamed Shaker said Monday.

"We have made some headway in preparing all strategic agreements (on NPP construction in Egypt - TASS) with the Russian Federation, our strategic partner. We have also finalized all technical, financial and legal issues," he said.

"Hopefully, we will sign a comprehensive agreement on implementation of Egypt’s nuclear program in the near future," the minister added.

According to Shaker, Egypt has "few traditional sources for electric power generation [hydrocarbons - TASS]," which is why nuclear power development is strategically important for the country.

Russia and Egypt signed an inter-governmental agreement to construct the first nuclear power plant in El Dabaa in November 2015. The facility consisting of four power units with 1,200 MW capacity each, will be built near the city of El Alamein on Egypt’s northern coast, 3.5 kilometers away from the Mediterranean Sea. The launch of the first unit is expected in 2024. The total cost of the project is estimated at $30 bln.