Sleiman finalizes preparations for National Dialogue

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman held several meetings on Monday with his team of advisers to finalize details related to National Dialogue sessions, which are scheduled to begin in the Baabda Presidential Palace on Tuesday.

President Sleiman will inaugurate Tuesday’s National Dialogue session by assuring participants that the forum was not an independent body that undermined constitutional institutions, the Central News Agency (CNA) reported on Monday.

The National News Agency (NNA) reported on Monday that President Sleiman met with Professor Fayez al-Hajj Chahine to discuss the preparations for the session.

Sleiman’s opening speech will call for unity and solidarity among the Lebanese, the CNA said.

According to the CNA, the president will explain the make-up of the National Dialogue committee and his choice of participants.

Earlier in March, Sleiman announced an expanded list of participants in the National Dialogue, but members of both the majority March 14 and the opposition alliances have voiced reservations about the inclusion of new members to the committee, as well as the exclusion of others.

According to the CNA, Sleiman’s speech will also salute the 2008 Doha Accord for its role in easing Lebanon’s political situation ahead of the 2009 parliamentary elections.

The president will also discuss the repercussions of recent Israeli threats and the tense situation in the Middle East.

After Sleiman is done with his address, he will open the floor for other speakers before adjourning the session for a later date, the CNA reported.

President Sleiman’s call to resume dialogue followed a February report by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701 in which he urged the president to resume national dialogue in order to reach consensus on a defense strategy.

Sleiman’s announcement and Ban Ki-Moon’s statement coincided with heightened tensions caused by an exchange of threats between Israel on the one hand and Hizbullah, Syria and Iran on the other.

The National Dialogue was launched in 2006 by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, prior to Israel’s July-August 2006 war on Lebanon.

However, National Dialogue talks resume Tuesday amid tensions between the majority March 14 coalition and the Hizbullah-led opposition over the dialogue’s agenda, with Berri warning against seeking Arab intervention. The March 14 Forces General Secretariat suggested last week that a representative from the Arab League attend the talks to help draft a defense strategy.

“Lebanon can seek Arab help in everything except the defense strategy issue and the president is aware of that,” Berri said in remarks published Monday by As-Safir newspaper.

“Those who are pushing for Arab League participation are weaving a conspiracy against Arabs and want to get them to do something they don’t want to do,” Berri added.

Media reports said Berri might ask Sleiman to include economic reforms on the National Dialogue’s agenda.

Following his meeting with Speaker Berri on Monday, EU

Special Representative for the Mideast Peace Process Marc Otte voiced hope that the national dialogue – scheduled to begin on Tuesday – would succeed. Otte also met Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Monday.

Meanwhile, Hariri was expected to meet with his allies in the March 14 Forces on Monday night ahead of Tuesday’s dialogue.

The CNA said the meeting will gather Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel, former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, as well as March 14 General Secretariat coordinator Fares Souaid. The meeting would discuss a unified stance on the national defense strategy.

On Sunday, Hizbullah’s Minister of State for Administrative Reform Mohammad Fneish said that his party’s weapons would not be “a subject for discussion,” during dialogue sessions.

In other news, parliamentary commissions received on Monday the draft municipal electoral law, which, according to the head of the Administration and Justice Commission, MP Robert Ghanem, will be discussed on Wednesday. Parliament now has a 40-day deadline to adopt, reject or amend the bill for the municipal elections, scheduled to be held in June.

Shoura important partner in country’s progress: Saudi Cabinet

Mar 9, 2010

JEDDAH: The Council of Ministers commended Monday the contents of a keynote speech made by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah at the Shoura Council on Sunday, saying it represented a working program for the government and elucidated the fundamentals of the Kingdom’s domestic and foreign policies.

The weekly Cabinet meeting, chaired by King Abdullah, also underscored the Shoura’s contributions to the Kingdom’s progress over the past years in terms of constructive initiatives, judicious opinions and valuable proposals, “making it an important partner in the country’s development process.”

Earlier, King Abdullah briefed the ministers on the outcome of his talks with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and contacts with other world leaders, including Syrian President Bashar Assad. The king highlighted the strong Saudi-Lebanese relations and the two countries’ desire to strengthen these ties.

The Cabinet also noted the success of the International Book Fair in Riyadh, which was attended by more than 650 publishing houses from around the world with nearly 250,000 titles in Arabic, English, French and other languages. The 10-day book show is organized by the Ministry of Culture and Information.

The Cabinet took a number of important decisions. It added a new clause to the Social Insurance Law, which allows an increase in pensions and other benefits for the subscriber and members of his family and the introduction of additional compensation, within the limit of the financial condition of the General Organization for Social Insurance and after obtaining Cabinet approval.

The Cabinet reshuffled committees in Jeddah and Dammam for the settlement of insurance-related disputes. The three-member committee in Jeddah is chaired by Muhammad Al-Othman, while Abdullah Al-Harbi is the new chairman of the Dammam panel.

Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja said the Cabinet approved the rules and regulations for the Charitable Social Fund, which aims at improving the condition of poor citizens by creating job opportunities and financing small-scale projects.

The Cabinet appointed Ahmed bin Ali Al-Zahrani, administrative adviser at the Ministry of Justice; Abdul Rahman bin Saeed Abumilha, financial adviser at the Ministry of Transport; and Hussein bin Muhammad Aseeri, minister plenipotentiary at the Foreign Ministry.

At the same time, the Shoura Council also commended the king’s speech and said it would work to implement the speech’s contents through its various panels. “The speech referred to an important aspect of the Kingdom’s foreign policy, which is based on mutual respect, cooperation, dialogue and peaceful coexistence between nations,” said Muhammad Al-Ghamdi, secretary-general of the Shoura Council. He said the king’s annual address at the Shoura reflected the body’s importance.

UAE believes in responsible use of nuclear power

(Wam) 8 March 2010,

The United Arab Emirates’ interest in developing nuclear energy is motivated by the need to develop additional sources of electricity.

This is to meet future demand projections and to ensure the continued rapid development of its economy, UAE Foreign Minister H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan affirmed here today.

“Analysis conducted by official UAE entities has concluded that national annual peak demand for electricity is likely to triple by 2020, reflecting a cumulative annual growth rate of roughly 9% from 2007 onward. In evaluating different options to meet this demand, nuclear energy emerged as a proven, environmentally promising and commercially competitive option which could make a significant contribution to the UAE’s economy and future energy security,”

Sheikh Abdullah said in address before the International Conference on Access to Civil Nuclear Energy, held at the premises of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in Paris.

“Many steps has been taken to fulfill UAE international obligations in areas of nuclear safety , security and non-proliferation and in accordance with its policy commitments; including the signing of the Additional protocol to the compressive safeguards agreement, and the accession to the Convention on Nuclear Safety,”Sheikh Abdullah added in his address which was read on his behalf by H.E. Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

“In December 2009, and in a historical step, UAE, through Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation awarded a contract to Korean consortium to build 4 nuclear power reactors in the UAE with the first being scheduled to be operational in 2017. The contract scope covers the design, construction and the joint operation of the plants. It is important to note that this is the first time in the nuclear industry where a full scope contract is awarded that covers the operation responsibility for the life time of the plant, the UAE foreign minister added.

“International cooperation in the development of peaceful nuclear energy is a key element. It is a key to facilitate transfer of technology and an essential tool to ensure that such expansion in the use of nuclear energy is pursued in a responsible manner. Accordingly, UAE puts high importance on developing an effective international cooperation framework to support the development of the required infrastructure, and to facilitate knowledge and operational experience exchange. In this regard, UAE has concluded multiple bilateral agreements with governments of expertise in this area,”he explained.

Following is the full text of Sheikh Abdullah’s speech :

Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to be here today at this conference which covers important topics on facilitating the development of nuclear energy in a responsible manner, I would like at the outset to thank the Government of the French Republic and the organizers for hosting this event.

United Arab Emirates interest in developing nuclear energy is motivated by the need to develop additional sources of electricity to meet future demand projections and to ensure the continued rapid development of its economy.

Analysis conducted by official UAE entities has concluded that national annual peak demand for electricity is likely to triple by 2020, reflecting a cumulative annual growth rate of roughly 9% from 2007 onward. In evaluating different options to meet this demand, nuclear energy emerged as a proven, environmentally promising and commercially competitive option which could make a significant contribution to the UAE’s economy and future energy security.

It is also worth noting, that UAE considers the development of nuclear energy as a complementary source to a basket of diversified and secure energy options being developed in the UAE including renewables, natural gas and other traditional and innovative options.

In pursuing the development of nuclear energy, UAE is fully aware of the special circumstances and considerations that surround the development of nuclear energy in particular in areas related safety, security and non-proliferation. We put great emphasis on the principle that the expansion in nuclear energy should be pursued in a responsible manner that ensures facilitation of technology transfer to new countries and at the same time ensures the safety, security and non-proliferation.

From this prospective, and to make clear its intentions, the UAE Government has formally endorsed its “Policy on the Evaluation and Potential Development of Peaceful Nuclear Energy” in April of 2008. The policy defines a framework for developing the domestic nuclear energy program in form of commitments, strategies and principles. The policy is based on principles of complete operational transparency, highest standards of safety, security and non-proliferation, with the later being characterized by UAE decision to forgo fuel enrichment and reprocessing.

UAE commitment to maintain highest standards of safety is reflected in its approach in developing legislative and institutional infrastructure with the recent enacting of a comprehensive nuclear law and the establishment of an independent authority for nuclear safety regulation, designed to regulate nuclear energy sector in a manner consistent with highest international standards and practices.

Many steps has been taken to fulfill UAE international obligations in areas of nuclear safety , security and non-proliferation and in accordance with its policy commitments; including the signing of the Additional protocol to the compressive safeguards agreement, and the accession to the Convention on Nuclear Safety.

In December 2009, and in a historical step, UAE, through Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation awarded a contract to Korean consortium to build 4 nuclear power reactors in the UAE with the first being scheduled to be operational in 2017. The contract scope covers the design, construction and the joint operation of the plants. It is important to note that this is the first time in the nuclear industry where a full scope contract is awarded that covers the operation responsibility for the life time of the plant.

Speaking of nuclear power plants operation, this brings me to one of the challenges facing the expansion of nuclear energy today , which is the development of required human resources.

Being aware of this challenge, UAE, has embarked on intensive efforts and planning towards the development of required human resources capacity from the outset of the program planning. UAE approach is based on a strategy with objectives to:

Ensure the availability of a pipeline of talent to support the development and operation of UAE nuclear sector ,

To create a sustainable educational system to maintain ongoing flow of staff into the sector,

and to establish a sustainable nuclear technology programs that provide nuclear expertise, training and research in the long run.

These goals are being implemented through short, medium and long term plans which are linked to the deployment of the nuclear power plants timeline in the UAE, and consistent with the vision that majority of plant staff in the future will be UAE nationals.

International cooperation in the development of peaceful nuclear energy is a key element. It is a key to facilitate transfer of technology and an essential tool to ensure that such expansion in the use of nuclear energy is pursued in a responsible manner. Accordingly, UAE puts high importance on developing an effective international cooperation framework to support the development of the required infrastructure, and to facilitate knowledge and operational experience exchange. In this regard, UAE has concluded multiple bilateral agreements with governments of expertise in this area.

In this regard, Supplier countries have a major role to assist new comers to nuclear energy through the establishment of an effective framework for cooperation to facilitate such assistance. On this point, I wish to commend steps taken by some countries such as France on the establishment of a specialized entities for international nuclear cooperation to support countries embarking on nuclear programs.

This also brings us to the central role of the International Atomic Energy Agency in supporting such framework and to support new countries embarking on nuclear energy programs by providing guidance, technical support assist states in implementing Agency standards and recommendations.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize on the importance to focus on long term sustainability principle in developing any nuclear energy program through the adoption of plans and strategies that will ensure the availability of resources and efficiency of the sector through its long life cycle. .

UAE hopes through adoption of these policies and steps to establish a new model that allows states with interest in nuclear energy to evaluate and develop domestic nuclear energy programs with full support and confidence of the international community.

Kuwait eyes nuke energy within 7 yrs

March 09, 2010

PARIS: Kuwait's Minister of Electricity and Water Bader Al-Shuraiaan yesterday affirmed Kuwait's interest in acquiring and harnessing alternative energy - namely nuclear and solar energy - and predicted the start of using this power resource in seven years. The minister, in a statement to KUNA on sidelines of the Paris international conference on peaceful usage of nuclear energy, affirmed that this source of power is clean and nature friendly. He affirmed Kuwait's approach to depend more on eco-friendly energy resources and cut dependency on polluting fossil fuels, noting the country's mounting need to increase production of electricity and water.

HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has formed a special committee chaired by Dr Ahmad Beshara and grouping academics and experts to undertake the task of acquiring and using the nuclear energy in line with international treaties and resolutions. Moreover, a special team has been assigned to choose an adequate site on the national territory to build a nuclear reactor.

Elaborating, he noted that Kuwait initialed an accord with France for cooperation in this domain, alluding to the tentative agreement reached last January. It called for harnessing enriched uranium at internationally acceptable levels, habilitating cadres and using the energy in medicine, agriculture, geology and industrial medicine. Al-Shuraiaan said the ministry, through the BOT commission, would launch a power station powered with solar energy, noting that several foreign companies have tendered for investment in the venture.

Asked when the nuclear energy would be practically used in Kuwait, the minister indicated that this might happen in seven years. As to safety, he affirmed that states that use nuclear energy have made headways in securing nuclear sites. Earlier yesterday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy inaugurated the conference, affirming that peaceful nuclear energy has become a basic issue for the future of mankind. He called on the international community to find ways to fund this energy for nations that suffer from power depletion.

France, since 1970, has opted to venture into the world of nuclear power, Sarkozy said, noting that the French nowadays boast of acquisition of 58 electrical nuclear stations, adding that up to 80 percent of the electrical power in the European nation is produced from nuclear energy. The event is witnessing participation of 65 states. Al-Shuraiaan is heading a delegation which consists of members of the national committee for the peaceful applications of nuclear energy.

Al-Shuraiaan will be meeting with several French nuclear officials to discuss cooperation between Kuwait and France on peaceful nuclear technology. Attracting as many as 700 senior international officials, the conference is mainly intended to promote the peaceful and responsible use of nuclear energy. During the two-day conference, held at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) headquarters, the conferees are to mull over several nuclear issues and how to spur and encourage multi

lateral cooperation to help those countries that seek peaceful nuclear energy.

Kuwait 'a pioneer' in field of charity

March 09, 2010

DOHA: Kuwait is a pioneer in the domain of charity and in supporting ailing societies, Secretary General of Fahad Al-Ahmad International Award for Charity Dr Shibib Al-Zaabi said yesterday.

The fact that Kuwaiti humanitarian aid covers various countries worldwide showcases the giving nature of Kuwaiti people, Al-Zaabi said on the sidelines of participating in the third conference for charitable organizations affiliated with the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

The two-day conference held in Doha is a good opportunity to highlight Kuwait's contributions especially those that cover the Islamic world, he said, and noted that the event is aimed at boosting and facilitating charitable work. Charity plays a great role in the advancement of countries; therefore, governments should applaud and take pride in such noble actions, he said.

As for Sheikh Fahad Al-Ahmad's award, Al-Zaabi said that the award was directed towards overcoming charity hurdles through educating those affiliated on international laws and regulations adopted by world's relief and humanitarian agencies, alongside displaying positive effects of charitable work on society.

A number of workshops tackling recommendations issued at the second conference and of which are associated with charitable work in the Islamic world will be held on the sidelines of the conference where 35 Islamic countries are participating.

The OIC's conference held in cooperation with Qatar Charitable Society will touch on ways to develop charitable work and boosting organization's performance. The first conference was held in Senegal back in 2008 while the second was held in Libya last year.

Abu Dhabi summit debates global media challenges

ABU DHABI - The three-day Abu Dhabi Media Summit will open Tuesday as international media leaders flock to the UAE capital.

The summit, organised by the Abu Dhabi Media Company, says it aims “to reflect the emergence of Abu Dhabi as a global media hub.”

The summit’s programme includes a unique combination of high-profile sessions and closed-door discussions.

“The inaugural Abu Dhabi Media Summit will bring together media leaders from every continent to the UAE capital,” said Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, chairman of Abu Dhabi Media Company.

“Our programme of events and discussions reflect both our region’s immediate media industry ambition, and longer-term opportunities for the sector worldwide,” Mazrouei said.

“We believe that this summit will become one of the most important industry forums of its kind anywhere in the world, reaffirming Abu Dhabi’s place on the new global media stage,” he added.

Dirk Meyer, president and CEO of AMD commented on the event, saying: “The Abu Dhabi Media Summit represents an unprecedented gathering of global media and technology leaders enabling the next wave of innovation that is poised to drive global media. I’m proud to be a co-chair at this seminal event in one of the world’s fastest growing markets for technology and media.”

The summit has drawn big names, including Rupert Murdoch, chairman of News Corp, to Eric Schmidt, the Google chief executive.

Participants "are also to review radical new media in China, the media scene in India, building media brands as well as the rising star of Middle Eastern media,” the organisers said.

The event is held under the patronage of General Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahayan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

"There's never really been a conference like this before in our industry," said Michael Garin, a former US television executive now on the Abu Dhabi Media Company's executive committee.

Garin said: "What the conference does more than anything else is confirm Abu Dhabi's geographic, commercial and intellectual position as the nexus between east and west."

The summit serves a dual purpose, said Tony Orsten, a former Paramount Pictures executive who runs the Abu Dhabi Media Zone Authority.

"Half of our job is to help western media companies take advantage of the growth opportunity in the Arab region. The other half is to help the region's companies to get into the media business in a more professional manner," he said.

Orsten said: "This might become the next Davos of media."

Drought displaces thousands in rural Syria

March 9, 2010

Dubai: The third successive drought in Syria, the worst in many decades, is displacing tens of thousands of people and leaving more hungry.

For the second consecutive year the UN World Food Programme (WFP) is distributing food aid to hundreds of thousands of people in the rural northeast region of Syria, where the drought of 2009 severely affected small-scale farmers and herding families. However, the number of beneficiaries this year has multiplied, said Silvana Giuffrida, WFP Syria Country Director.

This year it is expected to reach 200,000 compared to nearly 40,000 who received emergency food assistance last year, she said.

This year "as the drought persists, WFP launched a new emergency response [designed under UN Syria Drought Response Plan 2009], addressing the nutritional deficiency of 300,000 people among the most severely affected households in Al Hasakeh, Al Raqqa and Deir Ezzor governorates," she told Gulf News, referring to the northeastern region of Syria.

The new emergency response is designed to address the impact of previous years' rainfall failure and to cover nutritional needs during the lean period, she added.

"Food assistance will be provided to prevent further reduction in quantity and quality of food consumption to guarantee a sufficient food intake of the population. In addition, supplementary feeding will be given to 6,000 children below 5 years and 2,000 pregnant and nursing women," Giuffrida said.

Under the WFP project, families will receive a two-month food ration that includes rice, bulgur, oil, wheat flour, chickpeas and salt. UN officials said this region has been hit by the third consecutive drought since 2006 — described as the worst in the past 40 years. Some press reports estimate the number of inhabitants of the region at 1.3 million.

According to the Government and two UN assessment missions in 2009, Giuffrida said, "the rural population directly affected by the drought has lost almost all sources of livelihood and faces extreme hardship. Up to 80 per cent of those severely affected live mostly on a diet of bread and sugared tea, not enough to cover both caloric and protein daily needs required to pursue a healthy life".

The direct consequences of the drought include "alarming school drop-out rates in some areas and massive internal displacement towards urban centres".

Already 65,000 families have left their villages in the affected region since the beginning of 2009, UN figures show.

Meanwhile, WFP's is trying to assist families that still live in the region and encouraging those who moved out to return to their villages, at least women and children.

However, a fund shortfall has forced the UN agency to reduce the number of targeted people from 300,000 to nearly 190,000.

WFP has so far received $8.2 million (Dh30 million) out of the $22 million required to meet the immediate needs of the population.