Dubai's AL BAYYAN 5/23/99: "The director general of the Syrian Atomic
Energy Commission signed last Wednesday the first agreement of its kind with the Russian
government stipulating that the latter will build two nuclear reactors in Syria to be used
for peaceful purposes. This will enable Syria to obtain a new source for the production of
the necessary electric energy to meet its growing needs.
It is not strange that Damascus has resorted to Russia in this field in view of the
historic relations between the two countries. These relations have begun to grow again
recently despite the pressure exerted by the United States and Israel to prevent Syria
from getting its defensive and technological needs.
This agreement is viewed as one of the important agreements between Syria and Russia
which was concluded within the context of the Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement between
the two countries signed two years ago. The Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement has
activated the relations between the two countries whose foundations were laid down during
the times of the former Soviet Union.
The nuclear cooperation agreement is beyond the control of the United States which is
reluctant to allow any Arab country to obtain atomic energy technology. In view of
Russia's fears of the nuclear relationship between the United States and Turkey, the
Russian nuclear outreach to the Middle East, which began with the Bushahr nuclear reactor
in Iran, will not be welcomed by the United States and Israel.
Although the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is important for Syria, its
atomic cooperation with Russia will provide it with the most sophisticated technology in
today's world and will also enable Damascus to build a competent nuclear facility that can
monitor all kinds of atomic energy and its uses.
Therefore, the United States has, in recent years, foiled all Syrian attempts to obtain
the atomic energy technology. Washington had earlier exercised pressure on Argentina and
obstructed a project for Syrian-Argentine cooperation in this field. It has also exercised
similar pressure on North Korea, China and South Africa to block any cooperation with
Damascus whether on the level of nuclear energy or armament. It is noteworthy that Russia
has agreed to supply Syria with two nuclear reactors during the meeting of the joint
Russian-Syrian committee in Damascus early last year."
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