Russia and Jordan signed in Moscow on Friday a nuclear cooperation deal, which lays a legal foundation for the two countries' cooperation on civil nuclear projects.

Under the document, power plants, research facilities and training centers will be built in the Middle East country.

The document was signed by Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom, and Jordanian Atomic Energy Commission chief Khaled Toukan.

"We intend to cooperate in building nuclear power plants... and plan to build four plants in Jordan in the coming decades," Kiriyenko was quoted as saying by the RIA Novosti news agency.

"We have started negotiations on various areas of cooperation, but the most important of them is the construction of a nuclear power plant for production of electric power, and of a desalination station," Toukan said.

Jordan has recently announced two tenders concerning nuclear power projects. Russian nuclear power plant constructor Atomstroyexport is taking part in both tenders.

(Xinhua News Agency May 23, 2009)