- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Gulf nations may have civilian nuclear energy in 12 yrs - Kuwait

Subscribe
ABU DHABI, May 8 (RIA Novosti) - It will take Gulf nations 12-15 years to start developing civilian nuclear energy, the foreign minister of Kuwait said Tuesday.

At an annual meeting in Riyadh last December, leaders of six oil-rich nations, party to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), announced their plans to develop a joint civilian nuclear program in compliance with international rules.

"From the time of making the decision, you need 12-15 years to complete a nuclear facility," Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah said, citing legal, legislative, and security requirements and more than 15 international treaties.

Kuwait has drafted a roadmap plan to implement the program, which will be presented to a GCC consultative summit in Riyadh in mid-May. The GCC includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman.

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog, Mohamed ElBaradei, said in mid-April that the GCC countries had "the natural right" to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes like the 150 nations already using atomic power.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала