( dpa ) - On the final leg of a 10-day tour of the Middle East and Europe, US Energy Secretary Samuel W Bodman on Wednesday met with Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak to discuss common goals to promote renewable sources of energy and a partnership to develop safe nuclear fuel for peaceful uses.
"Our discussion focused on ways to enhance the United States' relationship with energy-producing nations, promote sustained investment in conventional and alternative energy sources, and encourage improvements in global energy efficiency," Bodman said following talks with Mubarak.
Egypt's participation in the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) was discussed in the meeting.
Under the GNEP, which was launched by Bodman in February 2006, the US seeks to work with other countries to reprocess spent nuclear fuel for peaceful uses.
Partner nations would provide nuclear fuel to developing countries allowing them the benefits of clean, safe nuclear energy at a reasonable cost in return for a commitment not to enrich and reprocess spent nuclear fuel for the production of nuclear weapons.
Egypt announced last year it was seeking to build nuclear plants - a move that got the backing of the US.
Iran's controversial nuclear programme has prompted some Arab countries to consider plans to have access to nuclear energy.
Bodman also met with senior Egyptian energy officials and US business leaders during his second visit to Egypt as secretary of energy.