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In the face of US-Australia nuclear energy action plan annnounced on Thursday, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says nuclear power is still not an option for New Zealand.
At a joint media conference ahead of the Apec meeting in Sydney, Australian PM John Howard and US President George Bush have endorsed nuclear power as a form of clean energy to cut greenhouse gas emissions and save the world from global warming.
Under the agreement, the countries will work together developing nuclear reactors in a bid to tackle climate change.
Associate Professor Stephen Hoadley from Auckland University, says the agreement is appropriate for countries that do not have hydroelectricity but he says those who support Kyoto, by reducing green house emissions through new technology, will regard the agreement as a cop-out.
Hoadley says despite the agreement he doubts New Zealand relations with Australia or the US will be strained.
However, Energy Consulting Engineer Bryan Leyland says nuclear power is a lot more reliable than the options the New Zealand government is looking at, which include wind generators. He believes Prime Minister Helen Clark should reconsider the government's objections to nuclear power.
Peters, who was involved in pre-Apec talks on Wednesday, says nuclear power is still not an option for New Zealand.
Peters met with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and invited her to New Zealand. He says the visit will show the importance New Zealand has placed on rebuilding its relationship with the US.
Peters has described his meeting with Rice as a very "warm" and "excellent" encounter.
But the two countries are still at odds over Iraq and climate change - both issues which are set to dominate the Apec agenda.
Howard says he won't be scaling down the number of Australian troops in Iraq.
