On May 25, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Plurinational State of Bolivia Rogelio Mayta Mayta and Deputy Foreign Minister Benjamin Blanco, accompanied by representatives of the Russian Federation Embassy in Bolivia, ROSATOM and the Bolivian Agency for Nuclear Energy (ABEN), visited the site of the Center for Nuclear Technology Research and Development (CNTRD) under construction in El Alto.
During the visit the delegation of the Bolivian Foreign Ministry came to see the preclinical cyclotron-radiopharmacological complex (PCRC), where radiopharmaceuticals are already produced for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and the Multifunctional Irradiation Center (MIC) based on an industrial gamma unit for treatment of agricultural products. The diplomats also toured the construction site of the research reactor complex under construction.
Mr. Mayta Mayta noted that he was very pleased to have the opportunity to visit facilities that will undoubtedly change the lives of many Bolivians, thanks to the latest technology and high quality and safety standards. According to the Minister, such projects are possible due to the close relationship between the governments and peoples of Russia and Bolivia.
In his turn, Mr. Blanco added that the project is unique not only for Bolivia but for the entire region. The technology used in the Multifunctional Irradiation Center will allow Bolivia to improve the quality of its products and thereby open new markets for Bolivian producers. All procedures carried out at the center will comply with international standards, summarized the Deputy Minister.
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The Center for Nuclear Technology Research and Development (CNTRD) in El Alto, Bolivia is an innovative project that brings together advanced nuclear technologies for the health, agriculture and many other industries. The CNTRD project is implemented by the Bolivian Agency for Nuclear Energy (ABEN) in cooperation with JSC GSPI (part of the Rusatom Overseas).
The Center for Nuclear Technology Research and Development in El Alto is one of Bolivia’s most important healthcare projects. The radiopharmaceuticals produced at the CNTRD will be supplied to Bolivia’s nuclear medicine centers and will allow the diagnosis and treatment of more than 5000 patients per year. This will make possible for local residents to undergo timely and high-quality medical examinations with advanced nuclear medicine products without leaving the country.
The CNTRD project is unparalleled in the world: it is located at an altitude of 4000 meters above sea level. Its construction will greatly contribute to the development of science, medicine, agriculture and education in Bolivia, and will create more than 500 highly qualified jobs for Bolivian citizens.
In the summer of 2021, a ceremony took place to pour the first concrete of the building that will house Bolivia’s first research reactor. The head of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Luis Alberto Arce Catacora, attended the event.
