Russia says to tender for nuclear work in Egypt

MOSCOW, Nov 2 (Reuters) Russia will take part in a tender for the construction of nuclear power stations in Egypt, a Russian industry official said today as Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak wound up a visit to Russia.

Egypt ordered studies into building atomic power stations after Mubarak in September called for a national dialogue on the issue.

''Egypt has decided to switch to nuclear energy, and four stations will be built,'' Boris Alyoshin, the head of state industry agency Rosprom, said on the sidelines of Kremlin talks between Mubarak and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

''We will without doubt take part in the tender and I think we have a good chance of winning. President Mubarak has underlined that it would be done by a tender.'' Egyptian Trade Minister Rachid Mohamed Rachid, on a visit to Moscow last month, told Reuters his government wanted to discuss nuclear cooperation with Russia. Russia's state atomic agency said this week it was in preliminary talks with Egypt.

Russia is building reactors in China and India as well as the Bushehr reactor in Iran. Some Western governments say Russia should stop the work on Bushehr as part of sanctions to persuade Iran to halt its uranium enrichment programme.

In his talks with Mubarak, Putin said the quartet of international players involved in solving the Arab-Israeli conflict -- the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations -- would benefit if Egypt joined it.

The two leaders also talked about bringing Russian manufacturers into special, low-tax economic zones that Egypt is creating to boost foreign investment.

REUTERS PDM BST2125