Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz delivered today the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s speech at the 67th session of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), held in Vienna.
The minister of energy affirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to its national policy for atomic energy, which ensures the highest standards of transparency and reliability, and the highest levels of safety.
He said that the Kingdom recognizes the positive contribution of nuclear energy to energy security, as well as its social, and economic benefits, adding that the Kingdom is working to develop peaceful uses for nuclear energy across various fields through close cooperation with IAEA, including the Saudi National Atomic Energy Project and its components, among which is the project of building the first nuclear energy power plant in the Kingdom.
The minister said that the Kingdom is looking forward to operating a regional cooperation center with the IAEA to develop human capabilities in the areas of preparedness and response to radiological and nuclear emergencies, as well as other regulatory aspects at national, regional, and international levels.
"The Kingdom emphasizes the importance of concerted international efforts to implement the provisions of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, ensuring its universal adherence. It also affirms the significance of countering nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. In this regard, we reaffirm the importance of fully implementing Resolution 1995, which aims to establish a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East," the minister said.
The minister announced the Kingdom's support for the “Rays of Hope” Initiative launched by IAEA with $2.5 million to help save lives and address the burden of cancer diseases using nuclear techniques, adding that this support comes as an extension of the Kingdom’s continued support for the agency’s efforts and distinguished initiatives to serve humanity.
The minister congratulated IAEA and its member states on the upcoming launch of the Nuclear Security Training and Demonstration Centre in Seibersdorf, scheduled to be operational in October of this year, which the Kingdom took the initiative in establishing and funding it with the cooperation of other countries. He expressed the Kingdom's hope for this center to serve as a key enabler for the agency in strengthening the capabilities of all member states in many areas of nuclear security and become a reference center for nuclear security.
The minister voiced the Kingdom's appreciation for the IAEA’s role in maintaining its neutrality and its outstanding efforts in dealing with non-proliferation issues by maintaining its safeguards and verification responsibilities. He also expressed the Kingdom's appreciation for the agency’s efforts in ensuring that these activities represent important principles and contribute effectively to the development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, affirming its inherent right to benefit from peaceful nuclear technology, including the nuclear fuel cycle, and to benefit from its natural resources of uranium ores commercially, in accordance with relevant international treaties and agreements.
The minister renewed the Kingdom's support to the agency to harness nuclear technology for humanity, as well as the Kingdom's call on the International Community to cooperate actively in developing and addressing firmly all attempts of non-peaceful and unsafe uses of nuclear technologies.
