The United States encourages the development of peaceful nuclear energy by responsible states, including Egypt, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said on Thursday.

"In terms of development of peaceful nuclear energy, in Egypt or any other responsible country around the world, we encourage that," McCormack told a news briefing.

McCormack said Egypt has and will continue to have major energy needs, and the United States has pressed Egypt to develop alternative sources of energy to petroleum.

McCormack made the remarks in response to a comment by a Russian official that Moscow planned to participate in Egyptian tender offers to build nuclear plants in Egypt and expected the Russian bids to do well.

Egypt's nuclear program was frozen in 1986 following the accident at the Chernobyl power plant in what was then the Soviet Union.

Egypt signed in 1968 the international nuclear non- proliferation treaty and officially supports the elimination of nuclear weapons in the region.

Source: Xinhua