ABU DHABI — For the first time, a Gulf Arab country has expressed
concern over the construction of a nuclear power plant in Iran.
Kuwait has expressed worry over Iran's nuclear reactor project in the
coastal city of Bushehr. Officials said Bushehr could release nuclear waste
in the air or water in the northern Gulf that could affect the sheikdom.
"It could be a serious environmental catastrophe if operated without
observing safety standards," Basel Al Rashed, director of the Kuwait
Institute for Scientific Research, said.
Al Rashed told parliament's Environment Committee that he has discussed
Bushehr with the International Atomic Energy
Agency, meant to supervise the Iranian nuclear facility. He said the IAEA
was urged to ensure that Bushehr would not become an environmental hazard in
the region.
[On Wednesday, the foreign ministers of Iran and Kuwait met in Teheran
to discuss cooperation as well as border issues. Reports from Teheran did
not mention Bushehr, which was discussed in a meeting
by Iranian senior officials in Moscow.]
Bushehr is located 300 kilometers from Kuwait. Western diplomatic
sources said the sheikdom has been briefed by the United States on Bushehr's
threat to the environment in the region.
The sources said the testimony to parliament was the first time a
Kuwaiti or GCC official expressed concern over Bushehr. The GCC has formally
supported the Bushehr project and refrained from responding to Western
concerns over Iran's purported nuclear weapons program.
Al Rashed called on the government and parliament to increase
cooperation with the IAEA to "face any future risks," regarding Bushehr. He
also urged the sheikdom to accelerate the process of ratifying the Nuclear
Safety Convention.
Russia has been the prime contractor of Bushehr, a $1 billion project.
Moscow was expected to complete Bushehr and begin full operations in late
2006.
The IAEA has been discussing Iran's nuclear program with other GCC
states as well. Diplomatic sources said the Iranian program was discussed
during IAEA talks with Saudi Arabia, which has sought to sign an agency
protocol that would exempt the kingdom from reporting up to 10 tons of
natural uranium or 20 tons of depleted uranium. The protocol would also
allow a signator to maintain secrecy of any nuclear facility until six
months before operation.
In 2003, Saudi Arabia was said to have issued a position paper that
envisioned the acquisition of nuclear weapons. The following year, Riyad was
said to have signed an agreement with Pakistan on nuclear cooperation.
