The General Director of the Arab Atomic Energy Agency (AAEA) Mohamed Nasr Eddin said Egypt is serious in setting up several nuclear plants for peaceful purposes given the increasing demand for nuclear energy. He said active steps are being taken by the government and the minister of electricity, which will soon sign a contract with a foreign investment company to look for suitable places to host these reactors in Egypt. In an exclusive interview to Al-Masry Al-Youm on the sidelines of the conference on nuclear energy in the Gulf organized by the Emirate Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR), he affirmed that Dabaa on Egypt's northern coast is still a candidate to host the reactor in spite of all the disputes around it. He pointed out that the People's Assembly would enact the nuclear law during its current session and that this confirms the government is taking serious steps to set up a few nuclear reactors for peaceful purposes. He explained Arab countries had not and would not dare manufacture nuclear fuel as this is a very peculiar kind of production and there are specific countries doing it. He called on Arab countries to try and get this fuel without political obstacles through international forums and, in exchange, to commit not to enriching uranium in order not to cause obsessions and worries for major nuclear fuel producing countries, especially as some Arab state have crude uranium. He was asked whether Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have human cadres qualified to work in the nuclear reactors due to be set up in the Gulf. "GCC countries were not interested in nuclear energy in the past. Yet, as a result of increasing economic development, especially in these countries, there is now a dare need for energy and electricity" he said. "At the same time, there is more demand for oil and gas and all Arab countries must now diversify their energy resources in order to preserve their future generations' wealth" he added. "Unfortunately, there are no qualified cadres to work in this field and Arab countries need seven years to have them and start teaching this specialization in universities and sending cadres to get training in foreign universities" he went on to say. He called on Iran to deal transparently with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in order to demonstrate it has good intentions and that its nuclear program is as peaceful as it says it is to reassure neighboring Arab countries. He pointed out the Iranian problem would be solved only if Israel agreed to put it nuclear establishments under international control, so that the international community can prove it does not adopt double standards. "In all international forums, the Arab countries call for Israel's nuclear weapons to be put under international control; sometimes they have success, sometimes they fail" he added. "I hope major powers understand our position. We cannot talk about peace in the Middle East while Israel has nuclear weapons" he also said. "It is now necessary for Arab countries to set up some nuclear reactors, especially as nuclear energy has become the only solution to supply our countries with the electricity and energy they need. This will have good effects on economic developments" he went on to say.
