For Israel, it means that the plan could bring new, unwanted attention to its secretive nuclear activities.

The countries laid out their hopes at an international conference in Paris on civilian nuclear energy.

Israeli Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau said nuclear plants built in Israel will be subject to strict safety and security controls.

He even said his country would like to build them in co-operation with scientists and engineers from "our Arab neighbours".

"Israel has always considered nuclear power to partially replace its dependence on coal," Landau added.

The programme aims to help Israel secure its energy supplies and battle global warming. Israel currently uses coal and natural gas to produce electricity.

The effort by Israel, which has long been known to have a secret nuclear weapons programme, runs the risk that it will draw the eyes of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The construction of a nuclear reactor could attract international attention to Israel's nuclear activities.

Asked if Israel would allow IAEA inspectors to supervise any new project, Landau aide Chen Ben Lulu said only that Israel would follow all the relevant rules.

Israel has not signed the non-proliferation treaty which aims to limit the number of countries capable of developing nuclear weapons.

Separately at the conference, Syrian deputy foreign minister Faysal Mekdad his country is looking at "alternative energy sources, including nuclear energy".

He added: "The peaceful application of nuclear energy should not be monopolised by the few that own this technology but should be available to all.

Between the two countries, Israel is seen as closer to actually developing nuclear energy in terms of knowhow and infrastructure.

The idea of generating nuclear energy has been floating around for years in Israel. In 2007, one of Landau's predecessors said he was working on a plan to build a nuclear power plant in the Negev desert.

Several months ago, Landau met French energy minister Jean-Louis Borloo, and raised the idea of French-Israeli-Jordanian co-operation in developing a nuclear power plant. Borloo was enthusiastic about it, Landau said.

Turkey's prime minister said on Tuesday that Israel had accepted that his country should again mediate talks with Syria. But the Israeli prime minister said no decision had been made.