A high-level delegation headed by the UAE’s Minister of Energy H.E. Suhail Al Mazrouei participated at the ‘International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the 21st Century,’ held from 27 to 29 June, in St. Petersburg, Russia.
The Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the 21st Century was organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in cooperation with the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and hosted by the Russian Federation Government through ROSATOM.
The conference, which is held every four years, discussed a wide range of issues, including nuclear power’s contribution to sustainable development, nuclear safety and reliability, as well as the prospects of nuclear power for the future.
During the opening plenary session, H.E. Al Mazrouei delivered UAE national statement that highlighted the country’s continues commitment to nuclear energy and call for stronger international nuclear cooperation framework.
“Sharing experience and continuous improvement is a key to sustainable and safe nuclear energy sector globally.” Al Mazrouei said in his statement.
(Full text of the UAE statement - http://www-pub.iaea.org/iaeameetings/cn206p/UAE-English.pdf)
Assembled at the St. Petersburg Conference, ministers from IAEA Member States and international experts also engaged in panel discussions that focused on different technical aspects involved in the development of nuclear power.
During a panel session on infrastructure, technology and institutional development the UAE shared with Member States the country’s best practices on developing nuclear power. H.E. Ambassador Hamad Alkaabi, UAE Permanent Representative to the IAEA, presented the UAE’s case and introduced the key aspects in the successful development of the country’s nuclear infrastructure.
The presentation focused on steps the Government has taken to establish the policy framework and the implementation strategy of the UAE nuclear energy programme including lessons learned in utilizing IAEA guidance.
Previous IAEA Ministerial Conferences on ‘Nuclear Power in the 21st Century’ were held in 2005 in Paris, France, and in 2009 in Beijing, China.
