State: U.S.-UAE nuclear pact to be signed

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. State Department said Tuesday a nuclear energy pact with the United Arab Emirates would be signed soon despite concern about the UAE's ties with Iran.

"No date has been set," said State Department spokesman Robert Wood of the civilian nuclear cooperation agreement. "We hope to do it as soon as possible. (We) just need all of the different pieces in place, and once they are, then we can do it."

The agreement would bring U.S. technology and knowledge to the United Arab Emirates similar to the agreement reached with India earlier this year.

"We are confident that the agreement highlights the transparency of the civilian nuclear energy program the UAE is embarking on and should be lauded as the gold standard of nuclear cooperation agreements," Yousef Otaiba, the emirates' ambassador to the United States, told the official Emirates News Agency.

Critics of the deal, however, told the Los Angeles Times they were concerned about Iran's ties with the federation of kingdoms, which has acted as a transit point for billions of dollars of goods from the West and Asia sent to Iran.

Federal lawmakers, too, have voiced suspicions about the talks, the Times said Tuesday. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., introduced legislation that would require the White House to verify the UAE hasn't acted as a conduit for banned goods and services to Iran for at least a year before it can get nuclear technology.

UAE officials acknowledge congressional reluctance, saying they're working closely with lawmakers.