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N-power access should not be limited to developed world: Amano

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, Jan 17, IRNA -- Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano Monday made a pitch for nuclear power access to developing nations, even as he called for uniform responsibility to prevent nuclear proliferation.

'Many countries considering introducing nuclear power are in the developing world and I welcome this. It should be available to developing countries and they have the same right as developed countries to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and the same responsibility both to ensure the highest safety standards and to prevent nuclear materials from falling into the hands of terrorists,' he said.

Amano was speaking at Mumbai after inaugurating the 21st Annual Conference of the Indian Nuclear society on 'Impact of Radiation Technology on Human health and Environment,' pti reported.

Amano said all countries of the world have an equal responsibility to work to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and access to nuclear power should not be limited to developed nations.

The IAEA expects between 10-25 new countries to bring their first nuclear plant on-line by 2030 and the centre of growth is in Asia. Major expansions in existing nuclear power programmes are planned in India as well as in China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, he said.

'Out of the 61 nuclear reactors under construction, 39 are in Asia,' he said.

Amano also said India's economic dynamism in the past two decades has given hope to many developing countries.
'In the field of peaceful nuclear technology, India's success was the result of detailed long-term planning and the accumulation of home-grown expertise through high-quality education and training,' he said.

Amano, who gave away the INS Homi Bhabha Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr Anil Kakodkar (former Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission) said, IAEA's goal is to provide practical assistance to nations interested in using nuclear technology.

He said India's cooperation with IAEA is likely to increase in the area of decommissioning in the coming years as many older installations in India will require extensive refurbishment or de-commissioning.

The Director General visited the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research & Education in Cancer of the Department of Atomic Energy at Kharghar in Navi Mumbai to see the indigenous teletherapy machine Bhabhatron-II.

India has already gifted two such machines to Vietnam and Sri Lanka one each through IAEA's Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT).

Amano said IAEA is active in improving the control of cancer in developing countries, where it is reaching epidemic proportions.