Pakistan has the safest nuclear reactors: IAEA DG

KARACHI: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General (DG) Yukiya Amano on Wednesday said that Pakistan had nuclear reactors with the most advanced safety features.

He visited the K-2 and K-3 nuclear power plants and addressed the one-day seminar on “The Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy and Pakistan”, organised by the Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS) and the Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (PIIA) to highlight the importance of nuclear energy in Pakistan’s economic development.

Yukiya Amano said that Pakistan had a long history of cooperation with the IAEA, starting with the inception of the agency itself in 1957. Pakistan’s cooperation with the agency had been reciprocal, wherein the international agency had also greatly benefitted from Pakistan’s nuclear expertise and its human resources.

He further said that Pakistan had been a beneficiary of IAEA assistance and its government was fully committed to enhance its collaboration with the agency in diverse fields, ranging from nuclear power development to that of human health, agriculture and livestock.

He said that Pakistan had conceptualised and developed an intensive programme for peaceful uses of nuclear energy, which offered great opportunities. Pakistan was fully committed to IAEA’s objectives, he added.

“I am very impressed to see that Pakistan has taken all possible nuclear safety and security measures,” he said and added that the reactors had advanced safety features.

He also appreciated that Pakistan’s enhancement of crop yield in the field of agriculture.

IAEA DG mentioned that Pakistan and IAEA had a mutually beneficial and wide ranging cooperation.

Foreign Ministry Security Division Director General (DG) Dr Zafar Ali said that Pakistan was all set to be a full member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and to contribute towards achieving sustainable development goals worldwide. Pakistan had offered to share its experience and expertise with other countries in the area of peaceful uses of nuclear technology, nuclear safety and security, non- proliferation and export controls.