Syria Today | Syria reserves its right to develop nuclear energy

Syria reserves its right to develop nuclear energy

Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mikdad said Syria has the right to develop a civilian nuclear energy programme at an international conference on nuclear energy in Paris on March 8.

“Syria believes it is important to consider alternative sources of energy,” Mikdad said. “Real international cooperation is required to provide training and financing for developing countries to obtain nuclear energy.”

Mikdad also criticised what he called the double standards of wealthy nuclear countries.

“Some Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty member states have imposed strict conditions on export policy that has hindered the access of other developing countries to nuclear knowledge and energy,” he said.

Opening the conference, French President Nicolas Sarkozy called on the World Bank and other international financial institutions to give countries equal opportunities to develop peaceful nuclear energy by financing their projects.

“I do not understand why international financial institutions and development banks do not finance civil nuclear energy projects,” Sarkozy said. “The current situation means that countries are condemned to rely on costlier energy that causes greater pollution.”

France derives 78 percent of its energy from nuclear energy and government-backed French firms lead the world in designing, building and operating nuclear power stations.

Mikdad’s comments generated much international media speculation that Syria wanted to develop a civilian nuclear power programme. Speaking on the sidelines of Syria’s National Energy Conference, held one week after the Paris nuclear energy conference, Atomic Energy Commission Syria Director General Ibrahim Othman said no decision had been taken to set up a nuclear power plant.

“Developing nuclear power in Syria is quite different from developing other energy types due to considerable technical and financial obstacles,” Othman told Xinhua news agency on March 13.

Syria signed up to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1969. The treaty allows all signatories to develop civilian nuclear energy programmes.