Nuclear watchdog to hold Jordan talks

MIDDLE EAST:International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei is to visit Jordan next week for talks on its plan to develop nuclear energy for civilian use.

The announcement of his visit coincided with a statement by Jordanian energy minister Khaled Sharida, who said the country intends to build its first nuclear power plant by 2015.

Last month Jordanian minister of scientific research Khalid Touqan held discussions in IAEA headquarters in Vienna and Jordan's King Abdullah, speaking at last week's Arab summit in Riyadh, called for the establishment of an Arab centre for the peaceful use of atomic energy "to help build our societies and modernise the realms of science, industry, agriculture and health".

His brother Prince Hamzah has, apparently, been made head of an energy committee which will survey the kingdom's future requirements.

Jordan is said to have 2 per cent of global uranium reserves but has so far done little to exploit this. The government has come under increasing pressure to do so because of the country's growing demand for power and the rising cost of fossil fuels.

Jordan, which has no oil or gas, depended on Iraq to provide cut-rate oil but this practice ended with the US occupation of that country. Chroncially short of water, Jordan is likely to opt for plants which combine power generation with desalination.

The Arabs are preparing for a summer summit to consider plans for an Arab nuclear industry. Last year Egypt and the Gulf Co-operation Council - grouping Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain - separately announced their intention of developing nuclear power.

The IAEA, Iran, Russia and the US have offered to help the Arabs, signatories of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, to gain nuclear expertise and installations.

But the Arabs are unlikely to accept Iran's assistance as they are suspicious of Tehran's intentions and mindful that acceptance would enable Iran to assess Arab progress towards the development of nuclear capability.

While proclaiming their determination to acquire nuclear energy, the Arabs continue to call upon Israel, the sole possessor of nuclear weapons in the region, to sign the non-proliferation agreement, destroy its bombs and warheads, and submit its nuclear facility at Dimona to IAEA monitoring.