King wants to speed up Jordanian nuclear energy drive

0 Comments | AFP, August, 2007

AMMAN (AFP) — King Abdullah II called Sunday for Jordan's drive to set up a civilian nuclear programme to be accelerated in order to wean the desert country off oil and gas imports.

"Energy represents the main challenge and we must think about radical long-term solutions," the king told the supreme committee for nuclear energy strategy, according to a palace statement.

"It's important to accelerate the establishment of the Jordanian nuclear programme," he said, underlining the need to "find alternative energy sources (...) aimed at reducing Jordanian imports."

Minister for Education and Higher Education Khaled Tuqan said meanwhile that "nuclear energy will account for 30 percent of the total energy produced in Jordan from now until 2030."

Jordan...