QUITO, Ecuador — Rosatom will help Ecuador develop a nuclear energy program for peaceful purposes, according to a new energy cooperation agreement between the two countries, the Ecuadorean government said Thursday.

“Yesterday, the ministry of electricity and renewable energy signed a memorandum of understanding with [Rosatom] … to carry out research in technologies and nuclear devices that may effectively be used in our country,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said Rosatom would provide “support and assistance” to help Ecuador draft a set of laws that will limit the use of nuclear energy to peaceful purposes only.

The statement says the deal calls for the governments of the two countries to appoint a team that would identify “the most interesting projects to develop a nuclear industry” in the Andean country.