The European Union is ready to extend cooperation to Saudi Arabia and other GCC states in the safe and secured use of nuclear energy, said Luigi Narbone, Ambassador and head of delegation of the European Commission to Saudi Arabia. Narbone, however, said that there has been another dimension to EU-GCC cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, which is financing the nuclear project. Narbone, speaking to a select group at a media luncheon in Riyadh Saturday, said that EU countries possessed all the necessary expertise to ensure the safety and security of nuclear energy for civilian use. Antonia Calvo Puerta, Deputy Head of the Mission, was also present. Narbone said the European Union has been engaged in a long-term program in cooperation with international efforts to design and develop a fusion reactor, the future of nuclear energy. Apart from economic and trade cooperation between Saudi Arabia and other GCC states and the EU, cooperation in the field of nuclear energy could be extremely fruitful, he said, adding that the move was significant since the EU has become an important strategic partner of the GCC states. “We would like to see whether this project is of interest to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries and if these states are willing to participate in it through investments on a long-term basis, say, for instance, for a period of 20 years,” Narbone explained. The economic and trade relations between the EU and GCC are ever growing, which is evident from the fact that the EU is the number one trading partner of the GCC while for the GCC, the EU is ranked fifth in trade relations with the trade volume between the two amounting to 61 billion euros, he said. The EU official pointed out that the 19th EU-GCC ministerial meeting that was held in Muscat recently also mentioned the possibility of cooperation between the two sides in new areas apart from political, economic and trade relations, which could include areas such as transport, counter-terrorism, higher education, and research and development, among others. An expert level ministerial meeting on terrorism financing is scheduled in Riyadh on Sunday, he said, without elaborating. Narbone said the EU will observe a Europe Day in the Kingdom on May 9. He said that higher education is a top priority for Saudi students and that an EU post-graduate program is in the offing for Saudi and GCC students. While explaining the advantages of such an educational program, Puerta said that it would make it possible for students and professors from Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries to have access to a number of European universities, including a university in the UK and the Netherlands, which no other program in the world could offer. “The candidates successfully completing such a program would not only be dedicated but a highly educated and knowledgeable younger generation with an understanding of socio-political factors and an acquaintance with the diverse culture of Europe,” she said. The EU officials underscored the need for creating awareness among the people of both the GCC and the EU of each others cultures. A public diplomacy program will also be launched to educate the people of each region about diverse cultures. Under the program a number of visits will be exchanged between leaders of both sides.
