PM Hasina reiterates Bangladesh's commitment to nuclear disarmament during meeting with IAEA chief
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reiterated Bangladesh's abiding commitment to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation during a meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
She recalled that Bangladesh ratified the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty during her first tenure in office. She thanked IAEA for its technical support for the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and its nuclear research reactor facility in Savar, said a press release.
PM Hasina congratulated the IAEA Director General on his election for the second term and assured him of Bangladesh's constructive support as an elected member of the IAEA Board of Governors for 2023-25.
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IAEA chief reaffirmed the agency's sustained support to Bangladesh and other developing countries on human-centric development issues leveraging nuclear science and applications.
He expressed particular interest in working together with Bangladesh under the "Atom for Food" initiative. She also spoke about the cutting-edge work done by the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) in developing stress-tolerant, high-yielding crop varieties.
Rafael Mariano Grossi congratulated the HPM Hasina on Bangladesh's joining a select group of countries to set up a Nuclear Power Plant.
He said that this facility has added an altogether different dimension to Bangladesh's engagement with IAEA, especially since it would continue to serve succeeding generations. He assured of IAEA's continued support for training and capacity building on nuclear safety and safeguard issues. He responded positively to Hon'ble Prime Minister's invitation to visit Bangladesh for the commissioning of the first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in 2024.
The IAEA chief also recalled the comprehensive development vision of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and said that IAEA would like to contribute to realising such vision through its support for clean energy, food security, advanced health treatments and water management, among other sectors.
