Bangladesh’s commitment to the non-proliferation and peaceful application of nuclear science, notably in the fields of energy, food safety, medicine, and health, has been reaffirmed by Foreign Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud.
Bangladesh’s unwavering commitment to nuclear disarmament and the security and safety of nuclear materials was also reiterated by him.
According to a news release from the foreign ministry issued here today, the foreign minister, who is now on an official visit to Austria, made this statement on Monday at a meeting with Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in Vienna.
Hasan ensured the Director General that Bangladesh will maintain the highest level of transparency, safety, and security of its nuclear power plants.
The foreign minister said that Bangladesh has considered include a significant amount of nuclear energy in its future energy mix because it is a clean and green source of energy, making reference to the country’s energy vision.
He mentioned that in 1972, Bangladesh became a member of the IAEA, making it one of the country’s first affiliations in any international body.
The foreign minister praised Bangladesh’s unparalleled achievements in becoming self-sufficient in the production of staple foods, as well as its achievements in the pharmaceutical and health services sectors. He also expressed gratitude to the IAEA for providing technical assistance to Bangladesh in the areas of nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, and agriculture.
Hasan appreciated Grossi’s initiatives like ‘Atoms4Food’ and ‘Atoms4NetZero’ and assured him of continued support from Bangladesh for these noble initiatives.
IAEA chief Grossi reaffirmed the agency’s sustained support to Bangladesh on human-centric development issues leveraging nuclear science and applications.
Additionally, he indicated a strong desire to collaborate with Bangladesh on the ‘Atom for Food’ project.
The Director General commended Bangladesh for establishing nuclear power plants, noting that this has given their relationship with the IAEA a whole new angle.He gave his word that the IAEA would continue to assist capacity building and training related to nuclear safety and safeguard problems.
In addition to thanking the IAEA for its essential assistance and collaboration on this project, the foreign minister extended an invitation to the organization’s head to visit Bangladesh at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project’s commissioning.
