KUWAIT CITY, July 9: Environment and Nuclear Energy Committee Chairman, MP Ali Al-Omair, expressed his disapproval on Friday of a Kuwaiti-Russian agreement that aims to introduce the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes to Kuwait. Al-Omair said that, according to news reports by Russia Today news channel on Thursday, Kuwait is still studying the option of using nuclear energy in the country despite parliamentary objections. He added that the news channel has published a Russian government authenticated draft agreement between Kuwait and Russia in that regard, which indicates that Kuwait is still considering the use of nuclear energy.

Al-Omair said that the use of nuclear energy creates a great risk to the State of Kuwait considering the recent Fukushima crisis in Japan. He warned the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Mohammed Al-Sabah, of the consequences and said that he will question the foreign minister as soon as possible on the issue. It is surprising that the minister had described the Iranian nuclear energy case as a danger and a threat to the region and its environment while Kuwait is advancing in the same direction, added the Salafi MP.

It is worth mentioning that in September 2010 a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the two countries in Austria. Earlier in the month, Kuwait announced its decision to build four nuclear reactors by 2022, each with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts, according to news reports. The memo stipulated training cadres, exploration for metals, establishing a network of nuclear reactors in Kuwait and building a relevant infrastructure. Kuwait also has similar agreements with Japan, France and the United Kingdom (UK).

Furthermore, on June 6, KUNA reported that Dr Ahmad Bishara, Secretary General of the Kuwait’s National Committee for the Uses of Nuclear Energy for Peaceful Purposes (NCUNEPP), has met with Sergei Kirienko, Chairman of the Russian Atomic Energy Agency (ROSATOM), in Moscow and discussed the bilateral cooperation in the domain of nuclear energy. Meanwhile, Islamist MP Daifallah Buramiya warned that Minster of Education, Ahmed Al-Mulaifi, on Saturday of approving contracts with specific companies without following the legal tendering procedures. He accused the minister of attempting to gain political loyalties by awarding contracts to certain business owners.