Hamad Ali Al-Ka'abi, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, highlighted the success of the three-day International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Energy in the 21st Century, which concluded today in Abi Dhabi.

In a statement to the Emirates News Agency, WAM, he said that the closing statement of the Conference affirmed the crucial role of peaceful nuclear energy in achieving the goals of sustainable development and supporting the efforts to combat climate change. The conference also provided an opportunity for its participants to discuss the role of nuclear energy in fulfilling future energy needs, as well as other vital issues related to the development and implementation of peaceful nuclear energy projects, he added.

He went on to say that the closing statement addressed the outlook related to the expanding use of nuclear energy, as there are over 30 countries interested in implementing new peaceful nuclear energy programmes, while other countries are interested in expanding their existing programmes. The closing statement noted the challenges facing nuclear energy, as well as the role of governments in providing a framework to facilitate the efficient production of peaceful nuclear energy, Al-Ka'abi continued.

Al-Ka'abi emphasised the importance of the conference in providing an opportunity to conduct high-level dialogue, to fulfil the needs of sustainable development while its participants concluded that peaceful nuclear energy is a safe energy alternative, on account of unstable fossil fuel prices and climate change.

The event underscored the necessity of establishing an appropriate nuclear energy infrastructure, which complies with IAEA standards while the closing statement affirmed that peaceful nuclear energy is a safe, clean, efficient and credible technology for many countries, which will play a key role in ensuring energy security and reducing the negative impact of the use of fossil fuels, fuel price rises and climate change.

The event also highlighted the central role of the IAEA and the Nuclear Energy Agency, NEA, in promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy and in establishing safety standards, facilitating international cooperation in the development of peaceful nuclear energy programmes, he concluded