Nawaz to address third Nuclear Security Summit

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expected to take up Pakistan's pursuance of civil nuclear deals

ISLAMABAD: The third delegation of the Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) being held in The Hague on March 24-25 will be led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif - who will address the 53-country gathering as a keynote speaker.

According  to a government press release, the summit will be attended by leaders from 53 countries as well as representatives from the United Nations, the Europe Union, the International Atomic Energy Agency and Interpol.

The prime minister will address world leaders attending the NSS on March 24 and is going to be one of the keynote speakers for a meeting on the future of the NSS process on March 25.

The prime minister will further address Pakistan’s access for the use of nuclear power generation as well as the use of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. According to the press statement, he will also be highlighting the measures taken by Pakistan to ensure the security and safety of its nuclear assets and facilities.

It is also likely that the prime minister will hold bilateral meetings with some of the world leaders on the sidelines of the Nuclear Summit.

The press release also states that the prime minister will be accompanied by Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry as well as the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi.

The first NSS took place in Washington in April 2010 and the second one took place in Seoul in March 2012.

NSS 2014 aims to promote nuclear security through international cooperation and voluntary national actions as the two summits had done previously.