UAE | Government
Nuclear Iran could upset regional balance of power
The prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran poses the most immediate threat to regional stability, according to officials speaking at a Nuclear Energy Conference that opened in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
- By Samir Salama, Associate Editor
- Published: 23:35 November 24, 2008
- Image Credit: WAM
- Shaikh Khalifa on Monday received British Foreign Secretary David Miliband.
Abu Dhabi: The prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran poses the most immediate threat to regional stability, according to officials speaking at a Nuclear Energy Conference that opened in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
David Miliband, British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, delivered a keynote address stressing the importance of pressuring Iran to come clean with its nuclear ambitions.
"A nuclear armed Iran would be a decisive blow against those seeking to promote pragmatic and peaceful solutions to the region's problems.
"The consequent nuclear arms race would be very dangerous. The acquisition of a nuclear weapon would strengthen Tehran's regional position, injecting its attempts to stoke up division and promote instability with much greater confidence."
On another note, Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, reiterated the UAE was committed to a peaceful nuclear programme.
"By 2020 we will have a shortfall of 15,000 megawatts. Nuclear energy is the best option to cover that shortfall," Gargash said. "We will insist on safety and security because after all we can not afford anything else but that," the minister added.
Dr Gargash told the conference that the UAE's nuclear energy programme would be a "model for openness and transparency".
The UAE Government published in April a policy document evaluating the potential development of a peaceful nuclear energy programme.
The document stresses the UAE's commitment to "operational transparency" and pursuit of "highest standards of non-proliferation".
Meanwhile, the British minister rule out military action against Iran. He said the pressure "we are applying to Iran, the sanctions we have supported in both the EU and the UN, are not an attempt at regime change. And nor are they a precursor to military action.
"There is much that the Arab countries could do to counter Tehran's claims that their quest for greater influence and their nuclear programme enjoys tacit support in the region. 2009 is the year when we need to work on these issues together," he said.
Dr Hans Blix, former United Nations weapons inspector, said nuclear power reactors do not increase the risk of a further spread of nuclear weapons.
"However, the construction of facilities to enrich uranium do pose certain risks and should be discouraged through reliable arrangements for the supply of fuel and disposal of spent fuel. This is particularly desirable in areas of tension, such as the Middle East," he said.
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