OREANDA-NEWS. November 20, 2008. If Syria decides to start developing nuclear energy, it will ask Russia for help, Minister of Economy and Trade of Syria Amer Lufti said during a pres-conference in Moscow.

“When we understand or feel that we urgently need to develop nuclear energy, Russia will certainly be the first state we will ask for help,” Lufti said noting that at the present stage Russia and Syria should focus on trade-economic relations.

He pointed out that the Government of Syria had decided to draft a plan of action to develop the country’s energy sector, particularly, by building power plants. The private sector will play a big role in this process: the Government will buy energy from private producers at world prices and will supply it to consumers at subsidized prices in accordance with the level of prices in the country. At the same time, Syria is searching for alternative sources of energy. First of all, it is considering the use of solar and wind energy. Particularly, it is considering possible sites for wind fields and wind power plants.