Pakistan for equitable civil nuclear cooperation

UNITED NATIONS:

Pakistan has underscored the fundamental importance of equitable, non-discriminatory civil nuclear cooperation to help secure its national energy future.

"Efforts to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction must not impede international cooperation in the peaceful uses of dual-use technologies, which is vital for the economic development of the Global South," Pakistani delegate Syed Atif Raza told the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday during a debate on the annual report of the IAEA, the Vienna-based UN organization.

At the same time, Raza, a counsellor at the Pakistan Mission to the UN, highlighted that Pakistan is a party to the principal international instruments of nuclear safety and security.

"All countries must retain their inalienable right to utilize nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, consistent with their respective non-proliferation and international legal obligations," the Pakistani delegate said.

Pakistan, he said, maintained that compliance or safety issues should be resolved through technical bodies like the IAEA without political bias.