Русский
The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov has met with President of Bolivia, Luis Alberto Arce Catacora on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro. They discussed topical issues of bilateral cooperation in various areas, including interaction in trade and the economy, prospects for the implementation of large investment projects, as well as contacts within BRICS, and agreed their bilateral intention to strengthen comprehensive Russia-Bolivia ties. Bolivia is a BRICS partner nation.
Relations with Bolivia are important for Russia, in both the hi-tech and energy sectors. Bolivia possesses the world’s largest lithium reserves, a key component in modern equipment with applications from EV batteries to communications and IT. Russia is constructing a Lithium Carbonate plant in the country. The project, estimated to cost almost US$1 billion, will utilize Russian direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology to produce 14,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium carbonate annually from the Salar de Uyuni salt flats. However, recent opposition to Bolivia’s plans to develop its Lithium mining business with both Russia and China have met with opposition – last week, Bolivian MP’s were involved in a brawl at the national legislative council over opposing factions. That internal political situation obviously needs to be resolved.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Rosatom is working in Bolivia to build a nuclear research and technology centre in El Alto. This includes a research reactor, a preclinical cyclotron-radio-pharmacological complex, and a multipurpose irradiation facility. The research reactor is a pool-type, 200 kW pressurized water reactor developed by Russia’s Research Institute of Atomic Reactors. It is designed to operate at an altitude of over 4,000 meters, making it the world’s highest nuclear facility.
Bolivia’s bilateral trade with Russia has experienced notable variations, and is currently running at about US$100 million, however Bolivia’s participation in BRICS is expected to positively influence trade relations. The main products that Russia currently exports to Bolivia are vaccines, blood, antisera, toxins and cultures, medicines and refined petroleum. The main products that Bolivia exports to Russia are carbonates, inorganic salts, coconuts, and other nuts. This can be expected to change quickly with an increasing trade in Bolivian minerals, although internal political pressures could have the power to disrupt this.
Further Reading
