Jordan, Russia Sign Nuclear Deal

[Purveyor]

AMMAN (AFP) — Russia, which is helping Iran build its first nuclear plant, inked a preliminary cooperation deal with Jordan on Thursday to pave the way for producing nuclear power in the energy-poor kingdom.

Under the agreement, Russia will help Jordan, which imports around 95 percent of its energy needs, build power and desalination plants as well as research centres, Jordan Atomic Energy Commission head Khaled Tukan said.

"A final agreement will be signed in Moscow by the end March," Tukan told state news agency Petra after signing the deal with Nikolai Spassky, deputy director of the Russian Federal Agency for Nuclear Energy.

"It's key to boost Jordan's peaceful nuclear programme."

Jordan's 1.2 billion tonnes of phosphate reserves are estimated to contain 130,000 tonnes of uranium, whose enriched form provides fuel for nuclear plants. The government wants the first such plant to be ready by 2015.

AFP: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j7FNaMhEp8XHjlFuOp3tnBJ1X7Nw

[ThomWV]

1. Excellent - that should be good for the people of Jordan.

I am pleased to see that they will be getting relatively clean energy.