Sir

Organizers of the proposed new research centre for the Middle East, Caucases, Mediterranean and Gulf region, which will be based around the Sesame synchrotron, are saying it will be built in Jordan (Nature 404, 798; 2000). But the decision has not yet been officially made — and at the Interim Council meeting in Geneva, on 10 and 11 April, both Jordan and Armenia were chosen as likely sites.

I believe it is a violation of fair and objective selection practices for organizers of such an important international site to show this bias towards Jordan before the final decision has been made.

As chairman of the Armenian Committee for Sesame, established by the Republic of Armenia, I suggest that an independent panel of accelerator experts from around the world should visit both sites. They could then make an evaluation on the basis of each country's technical expertise and government commitment, and assess which offers the quickest and most economical way to make the project operational.

Armenia and Jordan have submitted their list of advantages. Let the independent panel review each item carefully and make their recommendation to the Sesame Interim Council and to Unesco. The birth of an international centre such as Sesame deserves this careful and fair process. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.natureswonder.com/sesame.