Posted 08 December 2006 @ 02:56
JAKARTA, 08 December 2006 - Indonesia and South Korea agreed this week to consider jointly building nuclear power plants and exchanging fissile material and technology, according to documents obtained Thursday. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his South Korean counterpart Roh Moo-hyun signed a bilateral agreement on the peaceful use of nuclear energy Monday, but kept the details under wraps.
The agreement, seen by The Associated Press, said cooperation may include "research, development, design, construction, operation and maintenance of nuclear power plants" and "manufacturing and supplying of nuclear fuel elements" to be used in the facilities. Indonesia has set a deadline of 2010 for the start of construction on the country's first nuclear power plant as it seeks to reduce its reliance on fossil energy in its efforts to provide electricity.
It expects the plant to begin operation by 2017 and hopes nuclear power will contribute a total of 4,000 megawatts to the national electricity grid by 2025. The agreement signed Monday, which allows for the transfer of "nuclear material, equipment and technology," stipulates that it can not be used for the development of atomic arms or be used for military purposes. It also says "uranium transferred pursuant to this agreement shall not be enriched to 20 percent or more ... unless otherwise agreed by the parties."
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