PEACE & SECURITY | Creating a more stable world
16 January 2009
United States, United Arab Emirates Sign Civil Nuclear Accord
Agreement serves as model for world and region, Rice says
Washington — The United Arab Emirates chose to import nuclear fuel for its reactors to produce electric energy rather than develop expensive and proliferation-sensitive uranium enrichment and reprocessing, says Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
“This is a powerful and timely model for the world and the region, and we welcome the U.A.E.’s decision,” Rice said January 15 at a signing ceremony at the State Department with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan for the Agreement for Cooperation Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.
The reference by Rice was in relation to efforts by Iran to develop its own nuclear program that is at odds with the U.N. Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is the nuclear monitoring agency of the United Nations. The Security Council has passed three sets of sanctions against Iran in an effort to get the Gulf nation to halt its nuclear development program. The United States believes the program is attempting to develop nuclear weapons, not a civil energy program.
The United Arab Emirates, in the pact, has agreed to return all spent nuclear fuel rather than attempt to reprocess it, Rice said. Reprocessing is one step in the process that leads to development of a nuclear bomb.
“The U.A.E. has been quite transparent about its nuclear peaceful needs,” Sheikh Abdullah said after the accord signing.
Rice said this arrangement “really does minimize — as a matter of fact almost eliminates — the proliferation risks that are associated with the peaceful uses of nuclear power.”
The accord sets up the legal basis for U.S. commercial nuclear trade with the United Arab Emirates, which has pledged not to develop nuclear arms and is a signatory to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
The White House must notify Congress of the agreement, and Congress has three options it can take within 90 days: choose to do nothing and the accord goes into effect; vote to kill it; or vote to approve it with conditions.
“The president and I have both said on a number of occasions that nuclear power must be an important energy source throughout the world as states strive to meet growing energy needs while at the same time working to eliminate harmful greenhouse gas emissions,” Rice said. “We applaud the U.A.E.’s ... commitment to the highest standards for safety, security and nonproliferation in its pursuit of nuclear power.”
The full text of the secretary’s remarks is available on the State Department’s Web site.
