UAE still keen on nuclear pact

Erika Niedowski, Washington Bureau Chief

• Last Updated: December 14. 2008 9:30AM UAE / December 14. 2008 5:30AM GMT

WASHINGTON // UAE officials said last night they remained eager to sign an agreement with the US permitting the trade in nuclear materials, despite some resistance in Congress, but emphasised that plans to develop a peaceful civilian atomic programme were not dependent on any single foreign partner.

The Bush administration’s plan to sign a nuclear co-operation agreement with the UAE faces resistance from some congressional lawmakers who insist that the Government introduce tougher controls on trade with Iran.

The officials in Abu Dhabi noted that both the US and the UAE had much to gain from signing the agreement, including the active participation of American companies in what is expected to be a multibillion dollar programme stretching over decades, as well as further cementing strategic ties between the two countries.

The Federal Government is negotiating similar pacts with several other foreign partners, including the United Kingdom, France, Japan and Russia, in anticipation of a decision to go ahead with a multibillion dollar nuclear power programme as early as next year.

The Government has renounced enrichment or reprocessing of nuclear fuel, and has already engaged the International Atomic Energy Agency to strengthen its formal safeguards.

Last April, the Government published a policy document outlining its intention to develop a peaceful, civilian nuclear energy programme that would set a new “gold standard” for transparency, safety and non-proliferation.

Officials say nuclear power offers the best solution to growing electricity demand.

New questions, however. were raised this week by US lawmakers including Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, the senior Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who introduced a bill outlining new conditions before the so-called 123 agreement with the UAE could take effect.

Under Mrs Ros-Lehtinen’s bill, the Obama administration would have to certify that the UAE is taking effective action to quash the transfer of illicit goods to Iran and to fully implement United Nations Security Council sanctions against that country.

Mr Obama would also have to certify that the UAE “has developed and fully implemented an export control regime in accordance with international standards” and implemented a system “to target the logistical and financial networks that support terrorist organisations”.

The US and the UAE signed a memorandum of understanding on nuclear co-operation in April as a precursor to the 123 agreement. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said at the time the UAE “really wants to be a good example for the region”.

The UAE’s ambassador to the US, Yousef Al Otaiba, reiterated in a recent interview in Washington that the UAE is creating a “gold standard” for civilian nuclear programmes, emphasising both security and transparency.

“We’re creating an entire industry from scratch based on best practices,” he said.

“We support UN sanctions that limit Iranian access to sensitive nuclear technologies and strongly urge the Iranian programme to be transparent to assure future regional peace and security,” he said in a recent speech.

“There are far too many dangers in a programme based on uranium enrichment, from the obvious fears of proliferation to the less obvious fears of potential harm to our shared environment, particularly the waters of the Gulf from which we draw our water.”

The 123 agreement had been expected to be signed before George W Bush left office. Ben Chang, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said Mr Bush approved the agreement on Nov 14 for the signature of the US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice.

That was two days before he met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, at Camp David, Maryland.

The intention was to sign the agreement during that visit, but it was delayed in part because of concerns that lawmakers on Capitol Hill had not been adequately consulted. The UAE, along with the Bush administration, was caught off guard in 2006 when legislators vigorously objected to an already-approved plan to hand operations of several US ports to DP World, citing concerns over national security.

That plan was ultimately scrapped, but US officials have expressed regret over the incident.

If the 123 agreement is not signed by Mr Bush before the end of his term, its fate under the next administration is not clear, said Sharon Squassoni, a senior associate in the non-proliferation programme at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington.

“It’s anybody’s guess how the Obama administration will view the promotion of nuclear energy,” she said. “It’s unlikely to be quite so enthusiastic as the Bush administration.”

Some of the same sentiments and concerns that fed the DP World controversy remain in Washington. And discussion by Congress of the UAE nuclear programme – which would be the first in the Middle East – will effectively test whether, and how much, the climate has changed. Some lawmakers, sceptical of the UAE’s relationship with Iran, one of its biggest trading partners, say they oppose any nuclear pact until the UAE becomes more aggressive in enforcing export controls.

Once a 123 agreement is signed, it must be formally submitted to Congress, triggering the start of a review period on Capitol Hill of 90 consecutive session days. The agreement automatically goes into effect at the end of that period unless a joint resolution of disapproval is passed.

Sean McCormack, a spokesman for the US state department, urged lawmakers on Friday to engage in “rational, factual, informed discussion”.

“We have engaged the UAE on this topic because we think it is an important way for countries in the region to potentially realise peaceful uses of nuclear energy,” Mr McCormack said. “If you encourage states, whether they’re in the Middle East or elsewhere around the globe, to engage in responsible behaviour, realise the benefits of peaceful nuclear energy while carefully prescribing the uses” of the technology in formal agreements, “that’s a good thing”, he added.

eniedowski@thenational.ae
* With additional reporting by The National staff in Abu Dhabi