Pakistan has five decades of experience running civil nuclear power plants in a safe and secure manner while adhering to IAEA standards and regulations.
The National Radiation Emergency Coordination Centre (NRECC) at the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) was inaugurated by Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) .
In accordance with the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident and the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency, to which Pakistan is a State Party, National Radiation Emergency Coordination Centre (NRECC)is Pakistan’s designated point of contact.
Pakistan has five decades of experience running civil nuclear power plants in a safe and secure manner while adhering to IAEA standards and regulations.
Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), met with the heads of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA), who gave him an overview of the nuclear security and regulatory framework.
To observe the safe and secure applications of nuclear technologies in the fields of public health, industry, and biology, the DG IAEA also paid visits to the Chashma Nuclear Power Generating Station (CNPGS), Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science & Technology (PINSTECH), Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB), Pakistan Centre of Excellence on Nuclear Security (PCENS), Nuclear Medicine, Oncology, and Radiotherapy Institute (NORI), and the National Institute of Safety and Security (NISAS).
Pakistan was visited by the IAEA Director General on February 15 and 16, 2023. He met with the Foreign Secretary, the Foreign Minister, and the Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives during his visit.
Director General Grossi opened the CyberKnife and spent fuel in dry storage facilities at NORI and CNPGS, respectively. Additionally, he declared that Pakistan will act as the IAEA’s regional centre for cancer treatment as part of the “Ray of Hope” initiative.
Grossi inaugurated the ZODIAC Lab and named NIAB as the IAEA’s Collaborating Center for Agriculture and Biotechnology during his visit.
The Director General of the IAEA was impressed by the high standards of these facilities when he visited PCENS and NISAS. Under the auspices of the IAEA, these centres have been providing international training.
At a seminar in Islamabad on “Climate Change Mitigation and the Role of Nuclear Energy,” Director General Grossi gave the keynote address. In his speech, he emphasised the value of nuclear energy as a clean energy source for reducing the negative effects of climate change.
A dinner honouring Director General Grossi was hosted by the Foreign Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to close the visit. Being a founding member of the IAEA, Pakistan has had a positive and beneficial relationship with the organisation since 1957. Pakistan participates in IAEA decision-making as a member of the Board of Governors.
After holding talks centred on furthering cooperation between Pakistan and the IAEA in the areas of peaceful applications of nuclear technology, particularly its role in reducing the effects of climate change, the DG of the IAEA left Pakistan.
Such visits are a common part of communication between Pakistan and the IAEA. Yukia Amano, a former IAEA director general, made two trips to Pakistan while in office. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Director General Rafael Grossi’s visit had been postponed.