07/02/2007 (Agence Europe) - Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have often expressed concern at the development of nuclear energy but are now considering using nuclear power, explained Abdulrahman al-Attiyah, GCC Secretary General, in Arab newspapers, adding that the GCC is negotiating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over the creation of a monitoring and control system for nuclear power. A meeting with AIEA head, Mohamed ElBaradei has been scheduled for 22 February. At-Attiyah said the acquisition process would be 'transparent'. At a GCC Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in December 2006, the six countries hinted that they were planning to join the nuclear club but said this was not a reaction to Iran's nuclear programme. The United States asked for further details of the GCC's plans, curious as to why the countries with the biggest oil supplies in the world wanted to use nuclear power. Al-Attiyah said that sooner or later gas and oil would run out, and countries in the Gulf region had to look to the future. (fb)