Foreign Minister Praises IAEA's Support for Egypt
Cairo – Khadija Hamouda
Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Head of the Egyptian Expatriates Affairs, praised the technical support provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to Egypt under its Technical Cooperation Programme, emphasizing that it constitutes a fundamental pillar in supporting Egypt’s peaceful nuclear programme. This support is evident both in the implementation of the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant project and in backing research reactors, as well as in building and qualifying national human resources and enhancing institutional and technical capacities across various nuclear fields.
This came during a meeting between Minister Abdelatty and Rafael Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, at the Agency’s headquarters in Vienna, as part of his visit to the Austrian capital.
The Foreign Minister expressed his appreciation for the continuous cooperation and coordination between Egypt and the IAEA, which was recently demonstrated by the Director General’s participation in the ceremony for the installation of the reactor pressure vessel for the second unit of the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant project. This event underscored the depth of the strategic partnership between Egypt and the IAEA in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
The two sides exchanged views on recent developments amid the ongoing escalation in the Middle East. Minister Abdelatty outlined Egypt’s intensive efforts and communications with various regional and international actors to de-escalate tensions and contain conflicts, stressing the necessity of prioritizing political and diplomatic solutions as the only viable means to address crises. He further emphasized the importance of avoiding any steps that could inflame tensions or expand the scope of conflict, given the potentially serious repercussions for regional security and stability, as well as the negative impact on international trade flows, global supply chains, and energy markets.
For his part, Rafael Grossi expressed his appreciation for the close partnership between the IAEA and Egypt, commending the progress achieved in implementing the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant project, which represents one of the most prominent peaceful nuclear energy projects on the African continent. He also praised Egypt’s role in supporting regional security and stability, as well as its efforts to de-escalate tensions and promote diplomatic solutions to address the crises affecting the region.
