Visiting IAEA DG meets foreign minister
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), an organisation that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, has pledged full support for the setting up of nuclear power plant in Bangladesh.
“IAEA will obviously assist Bangladesh in capacity building, human resources development, strengthening nuclear infrastructure, regulatory bodies and all other matters related with nuclear power generation,” said Yukiya Anano, director general of the organisation.
Replying to a question about the Russia-backed nuclear plant in Bangladesh, the visiting IAEA DG emerging from a meeting with Foreign Minister Dipu Moni yesterday afternoon, said Bangladesh has strong public support for nuclear power plant and also have competent people in nuclear technology.
About the meeting, the IAEA DG said they had discussed cooperation between Bangladesh and IAEA in various fields, including nuclear power generation, cancer therapy, water management and food production.
Bangladesh initiated a fresh move to set up a 1000-megawatt nuclear power plant in Rooppur with the help from Russia.
On Myanmar’s reported move towards nuclear armament, the IAEA DG said he had read news about it. But “the IAEA does not have anything particular which I can share with you, ” he added.
At the meeting Dipu Moni had said developing countries like Bangladesh should have greater access to IAEA assistance.
The foreign minister sought the IAEA’s technical assistance in creating nuclear power plant facility, especially in implementing the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
She hoped IAEA would increase support for combating cancer and radiotherapy facility at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and for agricultural research and water management.
Yukiya Amano, who is on a two-day official visit to Bangladesh from yesterday, lauded Bangladesh for being a leading country of South Asia to have acceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and for its impeccable record in IAEA’s safeguard compliance.
