Post #106

Oil, gas, nuclear and renewable energy: Russia and Somalia have work to do On June 2, the Chairperson of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko and the Chairman of the Senate of Somalia Abdi Hashi Abdullahi discussed the prospects for bilateral cooperation. In her speech, Matviyenko emphasized the historical ties between the countries, recalling the contribution of Soviet specialists to the development of Somalia's infrastructure, and expressed Russia's readiness to expand the partnership in new areas. Cooperation in the energy sector is also considered promising. Recall that in 2022, Somalia invited Russian companies, including Rosneft and Gazprom, to participate in the exploration of oil and gas fields. The country has significant resources (according to experts, they can reach up to 30 billion barrels of oil), but their development is constrained by instability and a lack of infrastructure. In addition, in 2019, Rosatom and the Ministry of Energy of Somalia signed a memorandum on cooperation in the field of peaceful nuclear energy. At that time, the parties agreed to jointly train personnel, develop a regulatory framework, and discussed possible projects in the field of nuclear medicine and agriculture. Renewable energy is also on the table. Russian companies such as Hevel are studying solar energy projects. For Somalia, where only a third of the population has access to electricity, renewable energy is a priority. The partnership is beneficial to both parties. It can help Somalia solve the problem of energy shortages, and Russia can strengthen its position in Africa. However, political instability and competition from Turkey, China and the UAE, which are already investing in the country's port infrastructure, are still among the possible risks. #AREA#Africa#RussiaAfrica#Russia#Somalia