Manama - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed Monday a nuclear cooperation deal with the US, vowing to abide by international nuclear conventions and be a good model for the region.

The deal was signed in the Bahraini capital Manama by UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, according to UAE WAM news agency.

UAE hopes that the deal will be a good example for cooperation in developing civilian nuclear energy with other reliable suppliers, al-Nahyan said.

Rice and al-Nahyan are in Bahrain where they are attending a regional conference of Arab foreign ministers.

The minister gave Rice a formal document of his country's ratification of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear terrorism, which has been signed by 66 countries and launched by the US and Russia in 2006.

Under the nuclear deal, the UAE is to set up a body that will assess a programme of civilian nuclear energy with an initial capital of 100 million dollars.

The International Atomic Energy Agency will be asked for technical advice, WAM said.

The UAE is committed to total transparency in operating nuclear plants and to international nuclear non-proliferation conventions.

The oil-rich country has already signed a nuclear cooperation deal with France in January 2008.

There is a rush of interest in civilian nuclear energy among Arab countries as neighbouring Iran goes ahead with its controversial nuclear programme. (dpa)