Nuclear energy agreement between Syria and Russia

The Kuwaiti daily al-Qabas reported in its Saturday edition that Syria and Russia will soon sign an agreement on cooperation in using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

The paper added the agreement was signed during the visit of the director general of the Syrian Atomic Energy Committee, Ibrahim Othman, to Moscow. The Syrian delegation held talks with officials at the Ministry of Atomic Energy and an institute for designing energy equipment. It was agreed to establish a center for nuclear research in Syria with the participation of both the company and the institute.

The Syrian center will be provided with a 25 Megawatt nuclear reactor. Syrian students will arrive in Moscow to study in these fields in the centers and the Engineering and Physics Institute in Moscow for a period not to exceed next August.

Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Vladimir Rahmanov, said that Russia is waiting for President al-Assad's visit to Moscow and is preparing for it. In press statements he made on Saturday, the Russian spokesman said that talks during the visit will deal with bilateral cooperation between Syria and Russia and developments in the Middle East peace process.