2nd LD-Writethru: Egypt, Russia sign agreement to build nuclear power plant in Egypt

CAIRO, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Egypt and Russia signed on Monday an agreement to build Egypt's first nuclear power plant.

The agreement was inked by Egyptian Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker and the head of Russian Nuclear Corporation Rosatom Alexei Likhachev, in the presence of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and his visiting counterpart Vladimir Putin.

In February 2015, Putin and Sisi signed in Cairo an initial agreement to build a four-reactor nuclear power station in Egypt by 2022.

In May 2016, Egypt approved the use of a loan of 25 billion U.S. dollars from Russia for the nuclear power plant construction.

Under the deal, Moscow will provide 80 percent of the foreign components of the plant, while Egypt provides 20 percent.

The plant will be erected in Dabaa city in Egypt's coastal Matrouh province. Enditem