No:017/22, Information of the Press Service Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the meeting of Minister Jeyhun Bayramov with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi
On January 19, 2022, during his working visit to Vienna, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi.
Expressing satisfaction with the level of mutual cooperation, the sides exchanged views on current cooperation issues and future prospects.
Minister Jeyhun Bayramov spoke about the importance of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in the global nuclear non-proliferation regime, and touched upon the role of the Agency in this area. Touching upon the importance of the IAEA verification system in the non-proliferation and peaceful use of nuclear energy, Minister Bayramov said that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the protection and further strengthening of nuclear security and supports all efforts to expand international cooperation in this regard.
The Minister also noted that taking into account and appreciating the key role of the Agency in the development of rules and standards of nuclear safety, Azerbaijan has created a comprehensive national export control system with a strong legal framework.
The Agency's continuous efforts in implementing technical cooperation activities were praised. Azerbaijan's cooperation with the IAEA in recent years was mentioned in the framework of projects related to the fight against cancer in the medical field, increasing of cotton growing productivity in agriculture, and interest was expressed in cooperation in the field of the environment.
The importance of control over Armenia's observance of safety rules in the operation of old technology nuclear power plants was emphasized.
Director General Grossi noted that Azerbaijan is a very important partner for the Agency and successful cooperation is being carried out in many areas. Noting the ongoing joint cooperation projects, the Director General said that there are prospects for cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Agency in the field of environmental protection.
At the meeting, other issues of mutual interest were also discussed.