Rosatom State Corporation and the Republic of
Rwanda have held the first meeting of the Joint Coordinating Committee on
cooperation in the field of the use of nuclear energy (JCC) in Moscow. The
meeting was co-chaired by First Deputy Director General - Director of
Development and International Business of Rosatom Kirill Komarov, and Energy
Advisor to the President of the Republic of Rwanda and Chairman of the Rwanda
Atomic Energy Board (RAEB) Dr. Lassina Zerbo.
During the meeting, the parties reviewed the progress of cooperation across key tracks: the nuclear power plant project, the non-power applications of nuclear technologies, including the establishment of a Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology, human resources development and the development of national nuclear infrastructure. Regulatory aspects of the programme were addressed separately. Following the meeting, the parties signed a roadmap on small modular reactors.
“Today’s meeting takes cooperation between Russia and Rwanda in the nuclear field to a systemic level. We are moving from framework agreements to joint work on concrete tracks: from training national personnel and developing nuclear infrastructure to projects in nuclear science and small modular reactors. Rwanda is building its nuclear programme consistently and responsibly, and Rosatom is ready to be a reliable partner for the country at every stage of this journey,” noted First Deputy Director General - Director of Development and International Business at Rosatom Kirill Komarov.
“The roadmap agreed upon today is building on the bilateral cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy initiated in 2018. Our priority is to include nuclear power within our energy mix by early 2030s to address the growing energy demand in Rwanda. Implementing a nuclear energy programme is first and foremost an investment in people, in science and in the country’s long-term development. The Joint Coordinating Committee allows to move to substantive, work across every track of our programme. We greatly value our partnership with Russia in its continued training of Rwandan specialists towards the building of nuclear capacity and infrastructure,” emphasised Dr. Lassina Zerbo.
The Rwandan delegation’s visit to Russia also included participation in the Obninsk New 2026 international youth forum and a technical tour of Rosatom’s machine-building facilities in Podolsk.
Cooperation between Russia and Rwanda in the
peaceful uses of nuclear energy is based on a series of agreements. On 5
December 2018, an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the peaceful
uses of nuclear energy was signed in Moscow. In 2019, on the sidelines of the
Russia–Africa Summit in Sochi, the parties signed an agreement on the
construction of a Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology in Rwanda, which is
to include a 10 MW research reactor and a set of laboratories.
Rosatom State Corporation is a Russian state nuclear corporation and one of the global leaders in nuclear technology. The company brings together the enterprises of the nuclear power complex and operates in power generation, engineering, scientific research and nuclear medicine.
The Rwanda Atomic Energy Board (RAEB) is a government institution mandated to promote the peaceful, safe, secure, and sustainable use of nuclear science and technology for socio-economic development. RAEB leads the development and implementation of Rwanda’s nuclear programme, supporting the application of nuclear technologies in priority sectors including healthcare, agriculture, energy, industry, mining, environmental protection, and research, in line with international safety, security, and safeguards standards.
