MOSCOW (Sputnik) – According to the Russian prime minister, the joint project will create thousands of jobs for Egyptians, who will also have the opportunity to get "academic and hands-on training" at Russian nuclear facilities.
"Russian and Egyptian companies are already busy preparing a package of contracts for the NPP construction," Medvedev said in an interview with the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram ahead of his visit to Egypt, adding that the contracts "are expected to be signed this autumn."
An initial agreement on the NPP project was reached in February, during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Egypt.
"Technical specifications and the number of nuclear power units, as well as the key commercial terms, have been agreed upon. They will be included in a new intergovernmental agreement, which is almost ready for signing."
Egypt plans to build its first nuclear power plant in the Dabaa coastal area. The power plant is expected to have a capacity between 1,000 and 1,200 megawatts.
Apart from Russia, countries such as China, France and the United States have expressed interest in the project.
Russian and Egypt signed a cooperation agreement on peaceful nuclear energy in 2008. Under the deal, Russian companies are allowed to partake in tenders to construct nuclear plants in Egypt.
