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The UAE has reiterated its commitment to the highest nuclear safety measures through its efforts to set up the National Nuclear Safety Infrastructure, and preparedness to implement the lessons learnt from the Fukushima Nuclear Accident in Japan.
This came in a speech delivered by Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, UAE State Minister for Foreign Affairs, at the Nuclear Safety Conference, which opened today in Vienna.
Addressing a five-day long Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety, hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UAE minister expressed sympathy of the UAE government and people with the Japanese people, who were shaken by the natural disasters that claimed the lives of thousands of victims and triggered the nuclear accident.
He underlined that the repercussions of the incident have revived a political debate on the nuclear safety, stressing that the UAE is aware about the public concern regarding the nuclear safety aspects and radiation effects caused by the accident. "No doubt that the Fukushima Accident will have great impact on the nuclear safety measures worldwide. We see that the nuclear energy will still play a major role in many countries, including my own country the UAE to meet current and future energy requirements." The UAE minister said that the UAE believes in the central role of IAEA to boost the nuclear safety measures and the nuclear safety culture worldwide, adding "we deem that one of the most important components of the world nuclear safety system is the National Nuclear Safety Infrastructure in all the member countries. Hence, we call for strengthening this infrastructure through boosting the control authorities and empower them to discharge their duties independently.
He cited that the UAE has learnt from the lessons of the Fukushima Accident by setting up autonomous work teams to assess the accident and the causes, adding that the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) has submitted an official request to assess the design of the nuclear power station, which will be built in the UAE.
Gargash thanked the secretariat of the conference and IAEA Director General for organising this ministerial meeting to study the lessons learnt from the Fukushima Accident.
The conference brings together Ministers from the IAEA’s Member States and representatives from nuclear regulatory agencies to discuss issues related to improving nuclear safety around the world in the wake of the Fukushima Accident caused by a major earthquake and tsunami on 11th March 2011.
Dr Gargash met at the sideline of the conference IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano and the British Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne. During the two meetings Gargash, Amano and Huhne discussed the UAE efforts on preserving the environment through its commitment to the highest nuclear safety measures and setting up of the National Nuclear Safety Infrastructure. They also tackled issues of common interest.
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