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L. Fituni, I. Abramova Resource Potential of Africa and Russia's ...

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delivery <strong>of</strong> large-diameter pipes for construction <strong>of</strong> the main gas<br />

pipeline in southern Nigeria.<br />

On December 15, 2009 Nigerian Minister <strong>of</strong> Science <strong>and</strong> Technology<br />

Alhasan Bako Zack announced that the country's first nuclear<br />

power plant would be built with <strong>Russia's</strong> assistance. Its capacity<br />

<strong>and</strong> the construction dates have not yet been announced. It is<br />

worth noting that in early 2008 Nigeria's leadership developed <strong>and</strong><br />

approved a program under which the country would develop its own<br />

nuclear energy industry by building a nuclear power plant. It proposes<br />

to bring the first plant on line by 2017.<br />

Due to disagreements on financial issues between the parties, the<br />

issue <strong>of</strong> resuming construction <strong>of</strong> the metallurgical complex in<br />

Ajaokuta remains unresolved.<br />

Russian business circles in general are increasingly showing interest<br />

in gaining access to the country's large <strong>and</strong> promising market.<br />

The main thing now is to translate into practice the existing major<br />

projects in energy, ferrous <strong>and</strong> nonferrous metallurgy <strong>and</strong> other industries.<br />

Ethiopia remains one <strong>of</strong> the oldest economic partners <strong>of</strong> Russia<br />

in <strong>Africa</strong>. In fact, even before the 1917 Russian revolution some<br />

limited trade (mainly in military related spheres) took place between<br />

the two monarchies. When Italy failed to induce Emperor Menelik II<br />

to recognize its protectorate by way <strong>of</strong> legal tricks <strong>and</strong> launched an<br />

open aggression against Ethiopia in 1896, Russia stood for the<br />

Ethiopian cause <strong>and</strong> supported Menelik by supplying military hardware<br />

<strong>and</strong> sending to Ethiopia a medical team led by General N.K.<br />

Shvedov to provide medical assistance to sick <strong>and</strong> wounded. In<br />

1900–1901, soon after the British suppressed the Mahdists’ rebellion<br />

<strong>and</strong> took control <strong>of</strong> Sudan, Ethiopia <strong>and</strong> Great Britain found<br />

themselves on the brink <strong>of</strong> war because the latter claimed a considerable<br />

part <strong>of</strong> Ethiopian territory bordering with Sudan. It was<br />

mostly due to Russia’s determined position, as well as to its substantial<br />

assistance in strengthening the Western borders <strong>of</strong> Ethiopia that<br />

kept London from anti-Ethiopian military adventure. 37<br />

During the Soviet period the USSR supported Ethiopia in various<br />

areas. When somebody tries to reduce that assistance to arms<br />

190

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