South African President Approves Nuclear Agreement With France: Reports

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RIA Novosti, PUBLISHED 11.10.2014

South African President Jacob Zuma has approved the signing of a nuclear agreement with France, News24 reported Friday.

"President Jacob Zuma has, in terms of section 231 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, granted authority to the Minister of Energy, Ms. Tina Joemat-Pettersson, to sign an agreement on cooperation in the development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, between the government of the Republic of South Africa and the government of the French Republic," government spokesperson Mac Maharaj was quoted as saying by the news outlet.

According to News24, further discussions on the deal will take place in France in the near future and similar intergovernmental agreements are likely to be signed with China, South Korea, the United States and Japan.

On September 22, South Africa signed an agreement for strategic partnership in the nuclear sector with Russia, opening the possibility of the construction of nuclear reactors in South Africa with the use of Russian technologies.

The agreement was signed by Sergei Kirienko, head of the Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, and South African Minister of Energy Tina Joemat-Pettersson.

South Africa currently has two nuclear reactors generating 5 percent of its electricity. The country's government wants the nuclear energy industry to meet 25 percent of South Africa's electricity needs by 2030.

Topics: Africa, South Africa, France

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