Nuclear programme for peaceful purposes, says UAE

Abu Dhabi: President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Monday stressed that the setting up of a Gulf security system that includes Iran must be preceded by an agreement on the security and stability of the Gulf region. His comments came ahead of the GCC Summit to be held in Muscat on Friday.

In a wide-ranging interview with the London-based Al Hayat newspaper, Shaikh Khalifa expressed the hope that the United States under the leadership of President-elect Barack Obama would play a greater role in achieving just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East and security and stability in the Gulf .

As the UAE prepares to join the nuclear club, Shaikh Khalifa reiterated that its nuclear programme was for peaceful purposes.

"We are satisfied with the steps taken in this regard, which include signing agreements with leading countries in the field of peaceful nuclear energy," he noted.

He called on Iran to assure the international community that its nuclear programme is peaceful.

Limits on stay proposed

Gulf labour ministers are again proposing limiting the stay of an expatriate unskilled worker to five years, Bahrain's labour minister Majeed Al Alawi said. The plan will be presented to next week's GCC Summit.