Heba Press
The Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, affirmed, Monday in Vienna, that Morocco, under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, is committed to the principles of South-South cooperation and African solidarity, and is committed to continuing its efforts to support multilateral initiatives aimed at using nuclear technology for peace and development.
In a speech she delivered at the 68th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Ms. Benali stressed that the Kingdom “remains fully committed” to continuing to share, whether bilaterally or in cooperation with the Agency, its experience with its partners, with the aim of promoting the use of nuclear applications, science and technology for peaceful purposes.
After welcoming the IAEA’s initiatives in the areas of environment, agriculture and health, Ms. Benali reaffirmed Morocco’s strong support for the agency’s central role, particularly in terms of technical assistance to member states.
The minister stressed that the training infrastructure in Morocco related to peaceful nuclear applications has received several awards from the International Atomic Energy Agency over the past year.
In this regard, she stressed that the National Center for Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology became the first center in Africa to obtain the classification of the International Atomic Energy Agency as an “international center based on research reactors”, while the National Institute of Oncology in Rabat was designated as the main center of the International Atomic Energy Agency within the framework of the “Rays of Hope” initiative.
As was done last September, the minister continued, the National Center for Scientific and Technical Research was designated a cooperation center with the International Atomic Energy Agency in the field of molecular biology and genomics, particularly within the framework of the integrated action project to combat zoonotic diseases “ZODIAC”, while the Moroccan Agency for Safety and Security. In the nuclear and radiological fields, the “African School of Radiation Protection Regulators” was created with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Ms. Benali noted that these institutions have already started offering training, including for many African experts, adding that Morocco and its institutions have shared their technical expertise with more than 40 African member states.
She stressed their commitment to supporting technical cooperation and capacity building in various areas, such as radiotherapy, water, nutrition and radiology.
