Jordan, Egypt mull civil nuclear energy cooperation

Jordan and Egypt on Sunday discussed various aspects of cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to that effect in the next few days, according to officials.
The Jordan Atomic Energy Commission Chairman, Khaled Touqan, briefed an Egyptian delegation, led by the Ministry of Electricity Undersecretary, Hassan Hassanein, on key areas of the Jordanian nuclear programme, including the extraction and mining of uranium and building a nuclear power station.
He also spoke about a research and training nuclear reactor, a project now underway, aimed at building Jordanian human resources and capacities for the peaceful atomic programme, applying International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.
Hassanein, who earlier led his team on a tour of the 5-megawatt nuclear research reactor being constructed at the Jordan University of Science and Technology campus, said that the Kingdom had made remarkable progress towards introducing peaceful nuclear energy.
Touqan told reporters that the two countries will sign a nuclear energy MoU during the Egyptian delegation's three-day visit. Jordan had signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia and a similar deal with Kuwait.