The State of Qatar affirmed that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) constitutes a crucial element in the international system for maintaining international peace and security, including its contributions to the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones, and expressed its aspiration for achievement of progress towards the application of Agency safeguards in the Middle East. In order to facilitate and expedite the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East.
This came in the State of Qatar’s speech delivered by HE the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Austria and the Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations and international organizations in Vienna Sultan bin Salmeen Al Mansouri during the 65th session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference, currently underway in Vienna.
Al Mansouri, who heads the state’s delegation participating in the meetings, said that the State of Qatar calls on the IAEA Director General to activate consultations with regional countries in order to facilitate the early application of the agency’s comprehensive safeguards on all nuclear activities in the region, and for concerted international efforts to advance towards a comprehensive ban on nuclear weapons and the achievement of comprehensive disarmament. His Excellency added that Qatar also calls on all other parties, especially those that bear a special responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, to provide all possible assistance to the Director-General in this regard to facilitate his task.
HE Al Mansouri referred to the central role of the IAEA in maintaining nuclear security and safety and ensuring that nuclear materials are not diverted to other than peaceful uses. He informed the IAEA’s member states about the State of Qatar’s accession to the Nuclear Safety Agreement, in which Qatar joining went into force last March.
In his speech, Al Mansouri addressed the challenges arising from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, praising the agency’s response and provision of services to meet these challenges in many countries, especially in capacity building to detect the pathogens of viral diseases and its adoption of the Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC) project
Al Mansoori meanwhile reviewed aspects of the successful bilateral cooperation process between the State of Qatar and the Agency, saying that this was represented in the implementation of many programmes and training courses in many areas of the peaceful use of atomic energy, which include medicine and agriculture, strengthening the infrastructure of the regulatory authority concerned with regulatory control, in addition to enhancing human capabilities. and technical preparedness and response to radiological and nuclear emergencies.
Concluding, HE Al Mansoori expressed Qatar’s gratitude for the agency’s contribution to providing nuclear security support for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the installing of radiological detection gates at all border crossings in preparation for holding this world championship. He stressed Qatar’s aspiration for closer and broader future cooperation with the agency, after the country embarked on ambitious economic and social development programmes.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs