The concerns, raised in briefing notes prepared for Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird in advance of a trip to the Gulf region last March, were cited as a key reason to reject any Canada-Saudi nuclear co-operation.
The warning highlights the fine line the Harper government must walk as it seeks to increase exports of Canadian nuclear technology and materiel such as uranium while at the same time ensuring Canada doesn’t contribute to the spread of nuclear weapons.
Officials noted Saudi Arabia plans to install 16 nuclear reactors worth $80 billion over the next 20 years, and the Gulf state has entered into nuclear relations with a number of countries around the world.
“However, minimal (International Atomic Energy Agency) safeguards are in place in SA to verify peaceful uses of nuclear energy,” the briefing note reads, “and it has refused to accept strengthened safeguards.
“Many observers question SA’s nuclear intentions, especially if Iran were to acquire a nuclear weapons capability,” the note adds. “As a result, SA does not meet Canada’s requirements for nuclear co-operation.”
Iran has been the main focal point when it comes to concerns about nuclear weapons in the Middle East, but a former Saudi intelligence chief and ambassador to the U.S. hinted in December 2011 the Gulf state could build a nuclear arsenal if it found itself caught between a nuclear-armed Iran and Israel.
Saudi Arabia views Iran and its destabilizing role in the Middle East as a major threat, and it has long warned of the potential for conflict if Iran were to acquire a nuclear weapon.
The Saudi Embassy in Ottawa did not respond to questions Monday afternoon.
The Harper government has made exporting Canadian nuclear technology and uranium a key priority, inking nuclear co-operation agreements with a number of countries, including China, India, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
Exports have surpassed $1 billion, and the government would like to see that grow even further.
Saudi Arabia is also a major commercial partner for Canada in the Gulf region, with two-way trade and investment with the oil-rich kingdom growing substantially over the years.
But Chen Kane, a Washington-based expert on nuclear proliferation in the Middle East at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, said there are major concerns about Saudi Arabia’s nuclear ambition.
There is minimal international monitoring within the country, she said, while statements from top Saudi officials have repeatedly indicated the country will pursue nuclear weapons if Iran does the same.
“You actually have statements about it by the highest officials in the country,” she said.
Trevor Findlay, an expert on the nuclear industry and nuclear proliferation at Carleton University, said Saudi Arabia presents a “tricky” case for Canada and other nuclear-exporting countries because of questions about its intentions.
The case highlights the complexities associated with trying to become a major — but also responsible — player in the market, he said.
“Every country struggles with this, and where they find the balance is sometimes different,” Findlay said. “It’s a balance.”
That means Canada doesn’t always comes down hard on the side of non-proliferation, Findlay said, pointing to the recently concluded Canada-India nuclear co-operation negotiations as an example.
“In the case of India, (Canada) clearly pressed India on having stronger safeguards, but in the end they decided they would sell India uranium,” he said.
Meanwhile, Baird’s briefing notes also show the minister planned to lobby Saudi Arabia and Qatar to increase oil production in their respective countries to further isolate Iran.
This was after the European Union imposed sanctions on Iran’s energy sector after repeated refusals on the part of the Islamic republic to open its nuclear program to international scrutiny.
Officials were worried that a major increase in the price of oil would simply drive Iran’s existing customers such as China to rely even more on the Islamic republic for cheap energy — thereby negating the sanctions’ impacts.
“Your meetings with Saudi Arabia and Qatari counterparts will provide you with an opportunity to urge them to increase their oil production to offset the restrictions on Iranian exports with a view to stabilizing oil prices and in isolating Iran in the region,” the note reads.
“Spikes in international oil prices undermine international sanctions efforts as they permit Iran to benefit financially,” the note reads.
The notes also raise concerns about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, and indicate relations were at least temporarily strained after a pro-industry advocacy group sought to convince U.S. consumers in 2011 that buying Canadian oil was more ethical than buying from the undemocratic Saudi kingdom.
“The ‘Ethical Oil’ media campaign was a private initiative which was not supported by the Canadian government,” Baird was instructed to say if the issue came up during a meeting with his Saudi counterpart.
Original Article
Source: canada.com
Author: Lee Berthiaume
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