Israel and Syria have both told a conference in Paris they want to use nuclear power to generate electricity.
Israeli Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau told delegates his country wanted to build new nuclear plants to reduce its dependence on coal.
Syria’s deputy foreign minister said the peaceful application of nuclear energy should not be monopolised.
Israel has a research reactor open to international inspection, and another said to have produced nuclear weapons.
In 2007, Israeli jets destroyed a site in Syria which the US alleged was a covert nuclear reactor under construction – something Damascus has strenuously denied.
