German FM supports multilateral uranium enrichment

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Germany would back a multilateral uranium enrichment plant for developing countries to guard against the proliferation of nuclear arms, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in comments released Sunday. A multilateral agreement was needed to "prevent developments in other developing countries similar to those in Iran and strengthen nonproliferation," Steinmeier said in an interview to appear in Monday's Handelsblatt newspaper. "There must be international delivery guarantees for nuclear fuel," Steinmeier said. "That could replace the wish for one's own uranium enrichment plants." The International Atomic Energy Authority is already exploring the idea of multilateral supply guarantees so that nations seeking to tap nuclear power don't need technology that can also produce fissile material for weapons.