Mulki meets with IAG over Jordan’s nuclear programme

AMMAN — Prime Minister Hani Mulki on Tuesday met with a delegation from the International Advisory Group (IAG), tasked with reviewing Jordan’s progress in implementing its nuclear programme, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Mulki and IAG head Marouf Bakhit discussed progress in the programme that includes discovering and mining of uranium, the nuclear reactor for research and training at the Jordan University for Science and Technology, and the nuclear station to generate electricity. 

During the meeting, Mulki said the government is working on boosting efforts to benefit from local resources to generate energy and to further depend on renewable energy resources to create a variety in power resources and increase their contribution to the overall energy mix. 

The prime minister said that Jordan is progressing with the nuclear project, the most important part of which is discovering and mining uranium as a national strategic heritage that will boost the mining industry in Jordan. 

He highlighted Jordan's "good" position with the existence of two scientific research facilities, which are the nuclear reactor for training and research and the recently inaugurated Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East international research centre, rendering Jordan an educational and training hub in the region. 

The meeting was attended by Energy Minister Ibrahim Saif, Jordan Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Khaled Toukan and its Deputy Chairman Kamal Araj.

Earlier this week, His Majesty met with the IAG delegation and expressed his appreciation for its members' views and recommendations on developing Jordan's nuclear programme for peaceful purposes and on guaranteeing the programme's highest safety standards.

The Monarch stressed the importance of guaranteeing high profitability in producing nuclear energy that would increase the national economy's competitiveness and ensure reasonable costs of electricity generation.

He noted, in this regard, that the project has to be implemented in partnership with the private sector and with international financial support, to avoid any additional burdens on the Treasury.