News

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Pakistan seeks non-discriminatory access to civil nuclear technology

* National statement at international summit reaffirms Pakistan’s commitment to nuclear security
* Gilani says room for improvement in Pak-US engagement

WASHINGTON: Pakistan on Monday called for non-discriminatory access to civil nuclear technology to meet the country’s exponentially growing energy needs, and reaffirmed its commitment to nuclear security, at a major summit of world leaders.

Spelling out its nuclear policy in a national statement at the Nuclear Security Summit, Pakistan welcomed US President Obama’s call for security of nuclear material, and hoped the summit would be a catalyst to foster a nuclear security culture around the world.

“Pakistan has more than 35 years of experience in running nuclear power plants. With trained professional manpower and a strong nuclear safety and security culture, Pakistan fully qualifies for participation in civil nuclear cooperation at the international level,” said Islamabad in the statement.

The statement articulated Pakistan’s support for the renewed international interest in nuclear power generation to meet the challenge of climate change.

Separately, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani called on the Obama administration to adopt a “non-discriminatory approach” in providing Pakistan access to civil nuclear technology. He said such cooperation would facilitate more productive and result-oriented Pakistan-US engagement.

“We are satisfied with the outcome of the recently concluded round of strategic dialogue with the US. I, however, believe that there is still the need and space for improvement in the current level of our engagement to make it more result-oriented,” said Gilani in an interaction with the American media on the sidelines of the summit.

“Pakistan rightfully expects the US to adopt [a] non-discriminatory approach for a civil nuclear deal with Islamabad,” Gilani emphasized.

“The objectives of nuclear non-proliferation, safety and security would be better served if a policy of non-discrimination is adopted across the globe for peaceful uses of nuclear energy,” he said, and highlighted the energy crisis in this context.

“Our energy needs are growing with every passing day, and we are already running against time to explore viable options to meet the energy demands for our socio-economic development. Civil nuclear power generation is, therefore, an essential requirement of our national energy security strategy,” said the prime minister. app

Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk

Back to Top