Argentina, Saudi Arabia discuss nuclear energy cooperation

BUENOS AIRES, Oct 10, 2012

(Xinhua via COMTEX) —

Senior officials from Argentina and Saudi Arabia met here Tuesday to discuss bilateral nuclear energy cooperation, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

“The meeting’s main goal was to present a general view of the nuclear energy technological capabilities developed by Argentina at different stages, especially in infrastructure and nuclear plants, research reactors and production facilities,” said a ministry statement.

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The two sides, which signed a bilateral cooperation agreement in 2011, also discussed possibilities of bilateral cooperation in energy and other areas of technological importance, and analyzed regional issues of common concern, added the statement.

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During the week-long visit to Argentina, the Saudi delegation is scheduled to tour two nuclear energy plants in Ezeiza and Atucha, both in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area, and a third in Bariloche in southern Argentina.

http://www.individual.com/storyrss.php?story=164695158&hash=bfd1fa59b1f9ac73f8aac501645aa573

Nuclear Weapons Program – Argentina

While Argentina has never produced nuclear weapons, Argentina once pursued a covert nuclear weapons program for many years, during which, Argentina refused to accede to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and did not sign the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America (the Tlatelolco Treaty). A gaseous diffusion enrichment plant was built. Construction of reprocessing facilities was pursued for some time, but was suspended in 1990. A number of sites and facilities were developed for uranium mining, milling, and conversion, and for fuel fabrication. A missile development program was pursued for some years, most notably the Condor II missile program which was active from 1983 until the late 1980s to early 1990s. Argentina’s nuclear program was supported by a number of countries: power reactors were supplied by Canada and West Germany, a heavy water plant was supplied by Switzerland, and the Soviet Union was another supplier of nuclear equipment. Hot cells operated from 1969-1972, with no international safeguards; figures on the amount of spent fuel treated in the hot cells vary greatly.

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In February 1995, Argentina acceded to the NPT as a non-nuclear weapon state. The European Union said that Argentina’s accession to the NPT confirms its commitment to nuclear non-proliferation, already demonstrated by the quadripartite agreement on nuclear safeguards concluded among Argentina, Brazil, and IAEA, and by the Treaty of Tlateloco. Recently, there have been proposals for Argentina to develop nuclear powered submarines for the Argentine Navy, a move which has been controversial in Argentine politics.

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/argentina/nuke/index.html

Argentina: Greenpeace called for the closure of Argentina’s two active nuclear power plants, and took action to demand that a third scheduled to open this year be abandoned. Take action (In Spanish –54805 signatories)

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/news-and-blogs/news/Worldwide-wrapup/