Qatar and Russia sign up for nuclear cooperation

Tuesday, 2 November 2010 Russia's Rosatom and Qatar's Ministry of Environment have signed a memorandum of cooperation on the peaceful use of atomic energy. The memorandum covers bilateral cooperation in areas such as the development of nuclear energy legislation in Qatar. According to Rosatom, the two parties will also work together on fundamental and applied research, design, construction and operation of nuclear power and research reactors, including the production of radioisotopes and their use in industry, medicine and agriculture. The agreement will also see Russia supply unspecified nuclear materials and nuclear fuel cycle services as well as undertaking education, training and professional development for nuclear power industry personnel in Qatar. Qatar is one of the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council which has been looking into the use of nuclear energy for power and desalination in the region since 2006. A study into the viability of nuclear power led the state to conclude in 2008 that the case was not sufficiently strong to go ahead with a program of its own, but it subsequently raised the possibility of a regional nuclear generation project.