By IRNA,
London : Jordan is close to agreeing a nuclear cooperation deal with the US as well as China, according to Middle East Economic Digest (MEED).
“We expect to sign with China and the US by July and very soon after with Russia, Canada and Korea,” chairman of the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC), Khaled Toukan said.
“We will also sign a deal with the UK by the end of the year,” Toukan was further quoted saying. Chair of the UK Atomic Energy Authority, Barbara Judge, was said to be due to visit the JAEC at the end of June to develop the London-Amman agreement.
The deals, which follow Jordan signing its first nuclear cooperation agreement with France last month, are part of Jordan’s plan to provide 30 per cent of the country’s energy needs using nuclear power by 2030.
According to the London-based weekly, the intergovernmental deals will pave the way for a nuclear programme involving investment of about Dlrs 10 billion.
Jordan’s plans are expected to involve the construction of four nuclear reactors, worth an estimated Dlrs 2 – 3 bn each and the development of the country’s uranium resources.
Covered by the agreements are uranium mining, nuclear power technology, safety and security issues and the development of human resources and administrative capacity.