Argentina signs cooperation agreements

23 September 2009

Argentina has signed an agreement with Jordan for cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, while an Argentine company bids to build a research reactor in the country.

 

The deal with Jordan was signed at the United Nations headquarters in New York by Argentine foreign minister Jorge Taiana and his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh.  It covers cooperation on basic research and applicable areas; the production and use of radioactive isotopes; the exploration of metallic minerals; the design, construction and operation of nuclear power and research reactors; fuel components and materials; and, the processing of radioactive waste.

 

Taiana commented: 'This important agreement is the result of negotiations that began last year in October, following a visit to Argentina by Jordan's King Abdullah II, who agreed with Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner to strengthen ties between two countries in different areas and nuclear was one of those of special interest to Jordan.'

 

He added, 'The Arab country has embarked on the process of introducing nuclear power to the Jordanian electrical grid. It has opened an international tender for the delivery of its first research reactor and radioisotope production. Invap has been submitted and it is hoped that the signing of this bilateral agreement will strengthen the possibilities for allocating the project to Argentina's high-tech company.'

 

Canadian cooperation

 

Meanwhile, AECL of Canada has signed an agreement with Nucleoeléctrica Argentina SA and Argentina's National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) to extend a number of existing cooperation programs related to Candu 6 reactors and the development of the Advanced Candu Reactor (ACR-1000).

 

The agreement extends by three years a program agreed in 2006 covering the life extension of Argentina's Embalse unit and a feasibility study to construct a new Candu reactor.

 

Eduardo Messi, president of Nucleoeléctrica Argentina, said that the continued collaboration will "further enhance Argentina's development of nuclear power for generating clean, safe, reliable and economic electricity."