US President Barack Obama approved yesterday the Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Arab Emirates Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy, the White House announced yesterday.
’’I have considered the proposed agreement for cooperation between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Arab Emirates concerning peaceful uses of nuclear energy, along with the views, recommendations and statements of the interested agencies, the US president said in a memorandum for US Secretary of State and Secretary of Energy.
’’I have determined that the performance of the Agreement will promote, and will not constitute an unreasonable risk to the common defense and security. Pursuant to section 123 b. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, I hereby approve the proposed Agreement and authorize the Secretary of State to arrange for its execution’’, Obama said.
Towards achieving its goals under the said agreement, the UAE has signed a series of agreements with a number of countries and acceded to international protocols on cooperation for peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
The United Arab Emirates and the United States signed in January 2009 a bilateral agreement for peaceful nuclear cooperation that enhances international standards of nuclear non-proliferation, safety and security.
Known as a "123 Agreement," after Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act, the new pact establishes a required legal framework for commerce in civilian nuclear energy between the two countries.
"This agreement will benefit both of our countries, and is another example of the strong relationship between the United States and the United Arab Emirates," said His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates, after signing the agreement in Washington with then United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
"Under the terms of this agreement, the UAE will gain access to significant capabilities and experience in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. This will allow the UAE to develop its civilian nuclear program to the highest standards of safety, security and non proliferation. The agreement will also open opportunities for US firms to be active participants in the UAE nuclear energy program," Sheikh Abdullah added.
To show its commitment to international safety measures, the United Arab Emirates and the International Atomic Energy Agency signed in April 2009 an Additional Protocol to the safeguards agreement, establishing a procedure for stringent inspections of nuclear facilities and operations, and further strengthening the nation’s commitment to non-proliferation as it evaluates a potential civil nuclear energy program.
"This is an important step for the United Arab Emirates, and another demonstration of our nation’s commitment to complete operational transparency and the highest standards of non-proliferation," Ambassador Hamad Al Kaabi, the UAE’s Permanent Representative to the IAEA and Special Representative for International Nuclear Cooperation, said after signing the agreement in Vienna with Dr. Mohamed El Baradei, the IAEA’s Director General.
The IAEA describes the safeguards systems as "a confidence-building measure, an early warning mechanism," in its work to ensure that nuclear programs are not used for nuclear weapons purposes. Among other measures, the Additional Protocol establishes a procedure for snap inspections of nuclear facilities, and provides guidelines for allowing inspectors access to facilities and information.
The obligations that stem from the Additional Protocol and other international instruments will be taken into account in the upcoming nuclear law and regulations in the UAE. Following the UAE’s acceptance of the model Additional Protocol text developed by the IAEA, the UAE submitted a request for approval in February to the IAEA’s Board of Governors. Last month the Board approved the text and authorized the Director General to sign it with the UAE.
In statements after meeting separately US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu in last April in Washington, the UAE Foreign Minister, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said ’’The UAE has made a binding commitment not to enrich uranium or to reprocess spent fuel; committed to absolute operational transparency for civilian nuclear energy programs; endorsed international nonproliferation protocols; and supported the creation of an international nuclear fuel bank to assure security of supply and to remove any rationale for unilateral enrichment programs.
’’Signaling its unqualified commitment to this goal, last year the UAE contributed $10 million to the International Atomic Energy Agency fuel bank, proposed by the Nuclear Threat Initiative,’ he added.
In another qualitative move to affirm its commitment to transparency in its peaceful nuclear programme, the UAE released in April 2008 a detailed policy document on the evaluation and potential development of peaceful nuclear energy.
The UAE policy is based on the principles of complete operational transparency and the highest standards of safety, security and non-proliferation. The policy was developed following a study that projected massive increases in demand for electricity in the coming decades. The study determined that nuclear energy is a viable and compelling option for meeting the UAE’s future electricity demand.
These policy commitments include a pledge to forego any domestic fuel enrichment or reprocessing capability, in favour of long-term external fuel supply arrangements.
Additionally, the UAE policy calls for close and continuous coordination with the International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as cooperation with the governments and firms of responsible nuclear supplier nations, including the United States.
The UAE has a critical need for new, clean, reliable sources of electricity. The national annual peak demand for electricity is calculated to more than double to 40,000 megawatts by 2020. Current, committed capacity can meet only half of this. After studying all viable forms of power generation, the UAE has determined that nuclear energy could make a significant contribution to meeting the electricity requirements of the UAE.
As part of a diversified portfolio of power-generation assets, including renewable and traditional hydrocarbon energy sources, nuclear energy would free additional UAE hydrocarbon resources for the global market, reduce the UAE’s carbon footprint, assist in meeting the nation’s sustainability requirements, and provide a high degree of energy security for the UAE.
Various international experts have called the UAE’s program the "gold standard" approach to civil nuclear power development.
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