IEA: safety, non-proliferation key premises for nuclear development

Safety and non-proliferation are two key premises for global expansion of nuclear power and countries seeking nuclear use must adhere to these principles, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Nobuo Tanaka stressed here Monday.

"It's clear that the nuclear development should be done with consideration of full safety and non-proliferation. These are the two very important minimum requirements to use the nuclear power," Tanaka told Xinhua during the International Conference on Access to Civil Nuclear Energy held in Paris.

After the afternoon roundtable session on sustainable use of nuclear power, Tanaka underlined that "for the sake of climate change mitigation, nuclear (development) is necessary but there is precondition."

"For international organizations like the IAEA, they have career conditions of safety rules and enforcement of them, and non-proliferation rules," so countries seeking sustainable nuclear use need to live with or stick to "the global standards of nuclear safety and non-proliferation," he added.

Regarding the major difficulties facing the development of nuclear energy, Tanaka cited public acceptance and human resources as an example.

For the lack of human resources, he said that "there are not enough nuclear technicians and engineers, and the number is limited compared to the necessary expansion of the nuclear power."

Hundreds of ministers, government officials and business leaders gathered at the headquarters of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for a two-day conference on access to civil nuclear energy.

The meeting, initiated by France and co-organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency and OECD, aims to promote bilateral and multilateral cooperation between countries eager for nuclear access and willing to share nuclear experience. There are altogether six roundtable sessions.

Source: Xinhua