Jordan and Turkey sign nuclear cooperation agreement

• 13 years ago (2011-02-19)
• Junior Isles

Asia 859 Europe 1068 Middle East 317 North America 1004 Nuclear 643

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Amman and Ankara are set to usher in a new era of energy cooperation between Turkey and Jordan, with the signing of a nuclear cooperation agreement.

The agreement, to be signed between the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and the Turkish Atomic Energy Agency, will pave the way for closer ties between the two emerging nuclear states.

During the visit of Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini to the Kingdom earlier this week, Jordan inked a similar deal with Italy.

The agreements come as part of the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission’s aim to bolster cooperation with both nuclear supplier states and emerging nuclear countries in order to transform the Kingdom from an energy importer into an exporter.

Turkey plans to build its first reactor within seven years, with negotiations under way for the construction of a second reactor by a Japanese firm.

Italy operated several reactors from 1963 until 1990, when its civil nuclear programme was suspended due to political pressures. It has recently entered a national debate on whether or not to revive its nuclear power programme to reduce its dependence on imported electricity.

The Kingdom's peaceful nuclear programme calls for the establishment of a 1000 MW Generation III reactor at a site in the central region by the end of the decade. Plans also call for a second reactor to be built within a few years of the first, depending on feasibility studies.

Cooperation between the Kingdom and various nations has been identified as critical for the success of the peaceful energy programme in terms of human resources training and technology support.