IAEA satisfied with Pak nuclear safety, security

FAISALABAD: International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi expressed satisfaction over the quality and extent of nuclear safety and security put in place by Pakistan

The IAEA DG held a meeting with Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) Chairman Faizan Mansoor at PNRA headquarters. He expressed satisfaction over the quality and extent of nuclear safety and security put in place by Pakistan and the role of the nuclear regulator in its effective implementation.

Grossi also inaugurated a Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC) Laboratory at the Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB) on the second day of his official visit to Pakistan, Thursday.

Learning from the COVID-19 pandemic, the ZODIAC initiative was launched by the IAEA in June 2020 to help countries prevent pandemics caused by bacteria, parasites, fungi, or viruses that originate in animals and can be transmitted to humans.

Using a systematic and integrated approach, ZODIAC will strengthen the preparedness and capabilities of IAEA member states to detect and timely respond to outbreaks of such diseases. During his visit to the Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB), one of the four agriculture research centres established by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), the DG announced that NIAB would be designated an “IAEA Collaborating Center” for capacity building in agricultural research. He also received a briefing on the Institute’s work to develop new strains of cotton, wheat, rice, and other crops.

On this occasion, the IAEA DG also inaugurated the upgraded National Radiation Emergency Coordination Center (NRECC) at PNRA headquarters. The centre, which functions round-the-clock, is responsible for coordinating with PNRA licensees, the government, and the IAEA in case of any nuclear or radiological emergency. He also paid a visit to the National Institute of Safety and Security (NISAS), which the IAEA recently designated as an IAEA Collaborating Center for Nuclear Security Capacity Building.