Tunisia has joined the growing list of countries turning to nuclear energy to provide a dependable and secure source of power. Becoming a member of the select nuclear club follows signature of a 20-year cooperation agreement drawn up with France in mid-2008, during the visit of French President Nicholas Sarkozy to Tunisia. The agreement has also been given the go-ahead under the guarantee system operated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Approval of the Franco-Tunisian deal means that Tunisia can develop nuclear energy for peaceful means. During a recent visit by a senior delegation of officials from the IAEA, a spokesman declared the agency’s willingness to help Tunisia build an electricity generating plant by 2020, as well as in assisting in training qualified personnel to manage it. Production of electricity in Tunisia is increasingly dependent on natural gas as a primary source of fuel. The gas is pumped from
