FRANCE HELPING ARAB STATES WITH NUKE PROGRAMS

France helping Arab states with nuke programs (JPost)
France is acting to provide several Arab countries with peaceful nuclear programs, in order to wean the region off oil and boost Franco-Arab relations, a senior French Foreign Ministry official told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.

France has forged a nuclear cooperation deal with Libya and has discussed the possibility with Algeria and the United Arab Emirates.

The French have made sure that the programs would be only for "peaceful civil programs," the official said - mainly to supply drinking water by desalination.

"To move away from dependency on oil, an alternative must be introduced. That alternative is a civilian nuclear program," the French Foreign Ministry official said. "The position of the French government is clear - that we are in favor of a civilian nuclear buildup, but in a controlled framework."

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