Jordan Times
Monday, April 2, 2007
UN nuclear chief to visit
Jordan this month
By Khalid Neimat
AMMAN — International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohammad Al
Baradei was expected to visit Jordan this month for talks with officials on the
country’s plans to obtain nuclear energy for peaceful use, a Foreign Ministry
spokesperson said on Sunday.
Baradei, scheduled to begin a three-day visit to the Kingdom on April 14, was to
discuss Amman’s “desire to obtain atomic technology for peaceful means” with
Jordanian Nuclear Energy Commission (JNEC) officials, according to the
spokesperson.
During his trip, he was also expected to tour some IAEA-funded projects.
Last month, Khalid Touqan, minister of education and scientific research and
head of the JNEC, visited the IAEA in Vienna for talks on Jordan’s peaceful
nuclear plans.
At last week’s Arab Summit in Riyadh, King Abdullah said: "Our countries are in
dire need of atomic energy for peaceful purposes, to enable us to build
societies and update and modernise our fields of science, industry, agriculture
and health."
"We call for the establishment of an Arab centre for the peaceful use of atomic
energy."