RPT - South Africa Ready To Discuss Nuclear Energy Cooperation With Russia - Foreign Minister

ADDIS ABABA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th February, 2019) DDIS ADDIS ABABA (Pakistan Point news / Sputnik - 11th February, 2019) BADDIS ABABA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th February, 2019) BADDIS ABABA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th February, 2019) , February 11 (Sputnik), Sofya Grebenkina - South ADDIS ABABA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th February, 2019) frica will discuss nuclear energy cooperation with Russia during the next high-level bilateral meeting, Lindiwe Sisulu, the South ADDIS ABABA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th February, 2019) frican minister of international relations and cooperation, told Sputnik on Sunday.

Pretoria said in July that it was committed to expanding its use of nuclear energy was not ready to sign a deal with Russia's Rosatom nuclear corporation on building reactors with 10,000 megawatt capacity and would wait until it could afford the projects.

"I think our president [Cyril Ramaphosa] was opting for a mixed use for nuclear energy and I think they [with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the last meeting] were in complete agreement about that, but it was the timing that was a bit too soon for us to be able to absorb that.

I am not sure when we will be going to Russia, but I am certain when we go to Russia the matter will be on the table," Sisulu said, while answering the question on when South Africa is going to sign an agreement on nuclear cooperation with Russia.

At the 10th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, held in July of 2018, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that the country's economy faced too many financial constraints in order to proceed with a nuclear program.

A month later, South Africa's Energy Minister Jeff Radebe said that a new Cabinet had shelved the plans of former President Jacob Zuma to increase the use of nuclear energy in the country, opting for the use of coal, gas and wind power instead.