Israel, Syria announce plans to develop nuclear energy

Paris: Middle East rivals Israel and Syria have announced ambitions to develop nuclear energy.

They laid out their hopes at an international conference in Paris on civilian nuclear energy.

The announcements raise the prospect that the countries' nuclear programmes could come under the microscope of international inspectors to ensure that they don't cross the forbidden line into weapons programmes.

Iran and North Korea, whose nuclear programme has also drawn international scorn, were not invited to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development conference.

Israeli Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau said his country would like to build nuclear plants in cooperation with scientists and engineers from "our Arab neighbours."