Jordan Times
Friday, January 18, 2008
US renews support for
Jordan’s energy plans
By Maria font de Matas
AMMAN - The US wants Jordan to be part of the international pursuit of
alternative sources of energy.
The Kingdom was the first leg in a six-nation tour throughout the Middle East
and Europe by US Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman who said at a press
conference yesterday that fruitful global cooperation in the field should be
aimed at increasing global energy security by developing renewable energy
technologies as well as nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
He reiterated Washington’s support for Jordan’s efforts to develop its sources
of renewable energy and nuclear programme.
In his meetings over the past three days with Prime Minister Nader Dahabi,
Minister of Foreign Affairs Salah Bashir, Minister of Energy and Mineral
Resources Khaldoun Qteishat, Chief of the Royal Court Bassem Awadallah and
Secretary General of the Higher Council for Science and Technology (HCST) Walid
Turk, the US politician highlighted the importance of increasing the use of
alternative energy, promoting greater energy efficiency and fostering measures
that enable robust investment to develop energy sources as a way to respond to
current and future global challenges.
He discussed during a Wednesday meeting with Dahabi the importance of adopting
policies that attract investment in both alternative and conventional energy
sources.
Common challenge
“We face the major challenge of a world that needs clean and affordable sources
of energy,” Bodman told the press on Thursday at the end of his meeting at the
HCST.
“The size and scope of this challenge demand responsible actions from producing
and consuming nations,” he added.
According to Bodman, an improvement in global energy efficiency is another
“must”, adding that the best way to achieve it is “investing massively in
technology through the cooperation of governments, private sector and the
academic world”.
“I believe this must be and can be done because we have to do it,” the US
secretary affirmed.
Support for Jordan’s nuclear energy plan
During his meeting with Dahabi, Bodman highlighted Jordan’s participation in the
Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) and the importance of regional and
global cooperation to safely increase the peaceful use of nuclear energy to meet
rapidly increasing global electricity demand.
At the Thursday presser, Bodman referred to a memorandum of understanding,
signed by both countries last September.
Under the deal, Jordan and the US agreed to work together to develop
requirements for appropriate power reactors, fuel service arrangements, civilian
training, nuclear safety, energy technology and other related areas.
“We have offered every type of encouragement and knowledge that we have gained
in this area to Jordan,” Bodman said.
The US secretary also announced that a delegation of Jordanian officials will
visit his country in the coming months to meet with State Department officials
to discuss future cooperation in the field.
Last September, Jordan also joined the GNEP at its second ministerial meeting in
Vienna, where the partnership tripled in size and developed a framework to
address issues of nuclear fuel services and infrastructure development to enable
nations to share the benefits of nuclear power worldwide.
The GNEP, which currently enjoys the participation of 19 nations - including the
US, Russia and China - seeks to expand the use of clean and affordable nuclear
energy for peaceful purposes worldwide by promoting a closed nuclear cycle that
responsibly manages nuclear waste, furthers non-proliferation goals and
increases global energy security.
After visiting Jordan, Bodman will head on to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
Emirates, Qatar and Egypt. He will also go to Europe to attend the World
Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.