Kagame says nuclear energy central to country’s dev't strategies
President Paul Kagame said Tuesday his country has made nuclear energy central to their national ambitions under vision 2050 and called for partners cooperation in financing and technology.
He made the remarks in Paris, where he joined President Emmanuel Macron of France, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi, and other leaders for the opening of the 2nd Nuclear Energy Summit.
Kagame said as Rwanda aspires to be a high-income country it requires abundant electricity to power its development initiatives.
“Rwanda aims to be a high-income country by 2050. That requires abundant electricity, and that is why we have decided to make nuclear energy central to our strategy. It will diversify our energy mix while providing the stability required for industrial growth and long term transformation. Achieving this requires strong institutions, sound regulation, and an educated workforce, and that is the foundation Rwanda is building,” he said.
Kagame told the nuclear summit that Rwanda remains determined to do what it takes, to power the country’s development with nuclear energy, and appealed for cooperation with partners in financing and technology cooperation.
He mentioned that hundreds of Rwandans have been trained in nuclear science and engineering through partnerships with leading global institutions.
He observed that nuclear technology is evolving in ways that benefit countries with small grids, allowing Africa to be among the early adopters.
Noting that small modulars reactors, in particular, are especially suited to Africa's requirements, the Rwandan leader expressed confidence that Africa will emerge as one of the most important global markets for SMRs in the years ahead.
The second Nuclear Energy Summit drew participation from over 60 countries, including heads of state, government leaders, senior representatives and leaders of international organizations. The summit aims to address issues related to civil nuclear energy at the global multilateral level and to highlight the positive role of its development.
President Kagame met with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the Nuclear Energy Summit.
They discussed the strong and productive bilateral relations between Rwanda and France, and exchanged on the security situation in the region, including the need for ongoing efforts to address its root causes, according to the president’s office.
