Ethiopia, Russia Sign Non-Disclosure Agreement on Nuclear Power Project

Moscow, December 17, 2025 (FMC) – Ethiopia and the Russian Federation have taken a key step toward advancing Ethiopia’s first nuclear power plant with the signing of a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) in Moscow.

The agreement was signed by Commissioner of the Ethiopian Nuclear Energy Commission, Sandokan Debebe, and Director General of ROSATOM Energy Projects, Andrey Rozhdestvin, during the first official meeting between the two parties.

The NDA forms part of the implementation of a prior agreement between Ethiopia and Russia to facilitate the development and construction of the country’s inaugural nuclear power facility — a milestone in Ethiopia’s energy and development agenda.

Commissioner Sandokan is attending the meeting, which runs from December 15 to 19, 2025, in Moscow. During the sessions, the two sides are presenting and reviewing two key documents: the NDA and a detailed Road Map. Discussions are expected to focus on the substantive issues outlined in the Comprehensive Action Plan signed on September 25, 2025, on the sidelines of World Atomic Week in Moscow.

The agreement builds on previous discussions between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which explored bilateral cooperation in several fields, including the peaceful use of nuclear technology to strengthen Ethiopia’s energy sector.