By WAM,
Dubai : With its peaceful nuclear programme and adoption of a policy of fulll disclosure and transparency, the UAE once again shows the way to the rest of the world, the UAE press commented Tuesday.
The newspapers said the policy white paper issued by the UAE government on Sunday culminates a long process of the nation’s quest for peaceful nuclear power.
In fact, the papers added, as Foreign Minister HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan argued, the country’s nuclear programme could serve as a role model for the rest of the region and the world.
The papers tipped the programme as forward-looking, one that would characterise the use of energy in the country and goes out of its way to address the international community’s concerns.
”At a time when there is a heated debate going on about Iran’s nuclear programme and there’s growing concern over nuclear proliferation, the UAE has unveiled a nuclear programme that is not only totally peaceful and forward-looking but it also goes out of its way to address the international community’s concerns, ” wrote Khaleej Times in its editorial for Tuesday.
The comment said :”As Sheikh Abdullah emphasised, the UAE will constantly work with the UN watchdog, IAEA, to ensure its nuclear energy programme is in perfect conformity with the NPT and IAEA norms and regulations.
”A day after the UAE released the white paper, Sheikh Abdullah signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice in Bahrain. The US already has entered into a similar pact with Bahrain. And the UAE has been working with France too to realise the goal of peaceful nuclear power as early as possible.
”With fast depleting natural and energy resources and growing global consumption, many countries around the world are turning to nuclear power as a cheaper and environment-friendly option.
”The Arab and Gulf countries including the UAE are no exception. Of late, the race for nuclear power has gathered pace with leading Middle East countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and others seriously pursuing the goal.
What distinguishes the UAE’s nuclear programme is its emphasis on safe and peaceful use of infinite power that is nuclear energy. Ever the forward-looking and moderate nation, the UAE knows that power comes with responsibility.
”The country, with its burgeoning population and one of the fastest economies in the world, needs new, clean and greater sources of energy. And nuclear power is the answer.
”But by choosing to skip domestic enrichment of uranium, necessary to build nuclear weapons, the country has addressed international concerns and completely eliminated the possibility of any abuse. There are lessons in it for other countries in the region and the world.
Commenting under the title ”A clean source for future energy needs”, Gulf News said experts in the field are predicting that nuclear energy will be setting the future of energy usage and the UAE Government’s opting for the establishment of a nuclear programme for peaceful purposes is a measure that is forward-looking and one that would characterise the use of energy in the country.
”With the setting up of the Nuclear Energy Programme Implementation Organisation, the use of nuclear energy is assured to be on par with the regulations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
”The country identified nuclear energy as a viable economic and environmentally friendly option that would be beneficial for its long-term developmental process.
“We recognise that this growth will require continued access to affordable energy, and for this reason the UAE has begun to evaluate the potential contribution to peaceful nuclear energy to its future domestic energy mix,” said Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
”This pre-planning process is surely a welcome step given that the UAE’s economic growth is proceeding at a rapid pace. The local energy requirements are expected to grow by more than 160 per cent by 2020. The policy of diversifying energy sources is a step that compliments other future development plans.
”To take on nuclear energy as a source for future sustenance has been on the agenda not only for the UAE but also for other Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Hence, it is important that safety measures are ensured and that its application is presented throughout the various stages involved from the set up phase to that of the actual operational level.
”What makes the UAE’s approach to the use of peaceful nuclear energy – which hopefully other countries will follow as well – is that it adopted a policy of full disclosure and transparency with the international community”.