Asia

Asia

Saudi, Russia hold talks for peaceful nuke deal

29 December 2010 05:00 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil crude exporter, holds talks with Russia to pave the way for the signing of a peaceful nuclear deal, Russia’s envoy to Saudi Arabia told the local daily Al-Watan on Tuesday, APA reports quoting Xinhua News Agency.

Oleg Ozerov said inking the pact will open the door for boosting cooperation between the two countries as Russia has "huge and big abilities to implement peaceful nuclear programs."

The envoy said the final deal, if signed, will be a springboard for positive and constructive nuclear cooperation between Moscow and Riyadh.

In October, a Saudi official said the kingdom will need more than 40 gigawatts of base load power by 2030.

The official said this power demand could be met by nuclear plants.

The kingdom has moved ahead to nuclear power in an attempt to move away from its dependence on fossil fuel, establishing the King Abdullah City for Nuclear and Renewable Energies in April.

In July, the Saudi cabinet agreed to sign a nuclear cooperation pact with France and in 2008 the country signed a cooperation agreement on civil nuclear technology with the United States.