Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Jordan has urged regional countries, including Israel, to join the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The call was made during the Kingdom's participation in the 60th conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), currently underway in Vienna.

Jordan's representative to the conference, Chairman of the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC), Khalid Toukan said that such step would pave the way for a nuclear-free Middle East, thus achieving peace and justice and helping regional countries to focus on socio-economic development.

Jordan, he added, attaches great interest to the agency's guarantees system, as a key pillar of the international efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and ensure nuclear energy is used for peaceful purposes.

Addressing the conference, Toukan spoke about the latest developments in the Jordanian nuclear program and efforts to explore for uranium in the central parts of the Kingdom. He also spoke about a referendum on the social acceptance of the nuclear program in Jordan, whose results showed that 72 percent of Jordanians support the nuclear scheme.

The Jordanian delegation held a series of meetings with Arab and international delegations taking part in the annual event, and discussed ways to boost nuclear ties between Jordan and these countries.