U.S. President George W. Bush has backed a nuclear trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates, advancing the Middle Eastern nation's nuclear power ambitions (see GSN, April 21).
A bilateral memorandum of understanding was signed in April that represents a growing interest in nuclear power in the Middle East (see GSN, Nov. 4). Some international security experts have expressed concern that the trend could pose nuclear-weapon proliferation risks (see GSN, Nov. 17).
In a Nov. 14 "presidential determination," Bush found that "the performance of the agreement will promote, and will not constitute an unreasonable risk to, the common defense and security." The notice was printed last week in the Federal Register, and it clears the way for negotiators to complete a more formal "123 agreement" that would detail the precise terms of any nuclear commerce.
The Emirates plan to provide 15,000 megawatts of electricity from nuclear power plants by 2020, a leading official said yesterday, while pledging to keep the nation's nuclear program peaceful.
"From the beginning, the UAE has clearly highlighted the peaceful and transparent nature of its nuclear program," Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Mohammed Gargash told a nuclear conference, as reported by the Emirates News Agency. "The maintenance of transparency in individual nuclear programs throughout the region will increase prospects for cooperation, safeguard regional security, and prevent any future weakening of relations."
In August, the Emirates pledged $10 million to support an effort to create an international nuclear fuel bank, intended to dissuade developing nations from building their own fuel production facilities, which could be used for nuclear-weapon purposes (see GSN, Aug. 7; Greg Webb, Global Security Newswire, Nov. 25).
Editor's Note: This article was modified Nov. 26 to clarify the impression it gave that the final nuclear trade agreement was already signed.