Pakistan Denies Nuclear Reactor Purchase Reports
NTI: A report that Pakistan is looking to buy six to eight nuclear reactors from China is “baseless,” a spokeswoman in Islamabad said yesterday in a BBC report (see GSN, Nov. 4, 2005).
The Financial Times reported that the deal could be worth up to $10 billion and that construction could begin in 2015, lasting 10 years. The facilities would add more than 4,000 megawatts to Pakistan’s electricity grid, according to the newspaper.
“As our economy is expanding we require more energy and we remain interested in acquiring safe nuclear energy,” said Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam said. “But the report about Pakistan's talks with China regarding six to eight nuclear reactors is baseless.”
“Since this report has also given specifics of the so-called talks we want to clarify that the report is not true,” she added.
Concerns sparked by the illicit nuclear technology sales conducted by Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan have made it difficult for Islamabad to enter into nuclear sharing agreements with other countries, according to the BBC. Pakistan has tried to reduce international fears by arguing that all of its civilian nuclear sites are under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (BBC News, Jan 3).
The Financial Times reported that the deal could be worth up to $10 billion and that construction could begin in 2015, lasting 10 years. The facilities would add more than 4,000 megawatts to Pakistan’s electricity grid, according to the newspaper.
“As our economy is expanding we require more energy and we remain interested in acquiring safe nuclear energy,” said Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam said. “But the report about Pakistan's talks with China regarding six to eight nuclear reactors is baseless.”
“Since this report has also given specifics of the so-called talks we want to clarify that the report is not true,” she added.
Concerns sparked by the illicit nuclear technology sales conducted by Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan have made it difficult for Islamabad to enter into nuclear sharing agreements with other countries, according to the BBC. Pakistan has tried to reduce international fears by arguing that all of its civilian nuclear sites are under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (BBC News, Jan 3).
posted by Marko at 1/04/2006 09:56:00 PM
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