Egypt's president announced plans Monday to build several nuclear power plants — the latest in a string of such proposals from moderate Arab countries.

The United States immediately welcomed the plan, in sharp contrast to what it called nuclear "cheating" by Iran.

President Hosni Mubarak said the aim is to diversify Egypt's energy resources and preserve its oil and gas reserves for future generations. In a televised speech, he pledged Egypt would work with the United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency at all times and would not seek a nuclear bomb.