ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reaffirmed the country’s commitment to enhance collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to harness the full potential of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
The prime minister expressed these views during a meeting with the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi who paid a courtesy call on the prime minister at the PM House.
During the meeting, they discussed the peaceful applications of nuclear technology in various sectors, including cancer diagnostics and treatment, agriculture, food preservation, water management, and industry, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
The prime minister praised the IAEA’s initiatives in promoting nuclear energy as a key solution for mitigating climate change and emphasised Pakistan’s commitment to leveraging nuclear technology for sustainable development.
The prime minister noted that, as one of the founding members of the IAEA, Pakistan has maintained a productive and mutually beneficial partnership with the agency spanning over several decades.
With the IAEA’s support, Pakistan had made significant progress in nuclear power generation, industrial development, healthcare, and agricultural advancements, contributing to the country’s socio-economic growth, he added.
The DG IAEA appreciated Pakistan’s constructive and longstanding engagement with IAEA and said that the organisation would continue to work with Pakistan in the same spirit.
Rafael Mariano is in Pakistan on a two-day official visit. Announcing the visit, a spokesman of Pakistan’s Foreign Office said Pakistan and the IAEA have long-standing cooperation dating back to 1957 and Pakistan is one of the largest recipients under the IAEA’s Technical Cooperation Programme, covering nuclear energy, health, water resource management, food and agriculture.
“His visit deepens Pakistan-IAEA partnership on peaceful uses of nuclear technology”, the spokesman said.
