Ethiopia reaffirms strong commitment to IAEA’s mandates, position for atoms for peace, dev’t

Addis Ababa, March 13, 2023 (FBC) – Ethiopia is dedicated to promoting peaceful nuclear energy and creating a robust and sustainable nuclear program, said Belete Molla, Ethiopia’s Minister of Innovation and Technology.

In his opening remarks at the annual conference the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) earlier today, the Minister insisted that as a founding member of the IAEA since its establishment in 1957, Ethiopia has through the years enhanced its collaboration with the Agency being highly committed and strongly supportive to the mandates of the Agency towards non-proliferation, nuclear safety and promoting peaceful applications of Nuclear Science and Technology for sustainable development.

He reaffirmed the strong commitment of the government of Ethiopia in collaborating and promoting technical cooperation with the Agency in key socio-economic sectors such as agriculture and food security, human health, water resource management, environment, manufacturing industry, power generation, and in advancing Nuclear Science and Technology for sustainable development.

The Government of Ethiopia is committed for advancing Nuclear Science and Technology for development including exploring the potential of nuclear power for electricity generation, and substantive measures are underway to establish the Center for Nuclear Science and Technology (CNST) through establishing an institute to sustainably manage the sector, he noted.

The theme for this year is “Paradigm Shift,” and it emphasizes the significance of embracing change and innovation to achieve sustainable development goals through nuclear science and technology, the Minister underscored.

He underscored that Ethiopia is privileged to host the annual meeting for the first time since the establishment of the Agency,

Hence, the Ministry of Innovation and Technology of Ethiopia (MlnT) is dedicated to promoting peaceful nuclear energy and creating a robust and sustainable nuclear program, Belete emphasized. “We are investing in research and development, constructing the necessary infrastructure, and developing policies and programs to support innovative businesses and entrepreneurs in all sectors”, he added.

He also thanked the IAEA for the long and enduring cooperation with Ethiopia, reassuring his country’s strong commitment to the agency’s mandates and its long-standing position for atoms for peace and development.

Hua Liu, Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak, Director for the Division for Africa of the Department of Technical Cooperation, Mr. Mickel Edward, Section Head, for the Department of Technical Cooperation, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and liaison officers from the member state, regional Coordinators are taking part in the meeting, it is learned.