42nd IAEA General Conference

Kuwait, Mr. Faisal Rashed Al-Ghais, Ambassador to Austria and Resident Representative to the Agency:

the Agency: He opened his statement by noting that crucial items on the Agenda include measures to strengthen international cooperation in nuclear radiation and waste safety, measures against illicit trafficking of nuclear weapons materials and measures addressing the Y2K issue. He recalled that Kuwait had concluded a Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA within in the framework of the Non Proliferation Treaty and is currently studying the Additional Protocol with the prospect of signing. He stressed the importance of the application of the safeguards regime in the Middle East and underlined the link between the application of the safeguards system in the region and the declaration of the Middle East as a nuclear weapons free zone. In order to reach an agreement in this respect, he put special emphasis on the importance of the Agency’s role and called for Israel to accede to the NPT and to place its nuclear installations under Agency control. He went on to say that Kuwait endorses an agreement to rid the region of all weapons of mass destruction, be they nuclear, biological, chemical or ballistic. He expressed his appreciation for the technical cooperation activities of the Agency and commended the TC strategy, which contributes to the realization of the development priorities of the concerned developing countries. He also stressed the importance of the Agency’s activities in Iraq, which ensure security and stability in the region. He underlined his country’s view that subject to Iraq’s cooperation, there would be no technical impediment to implement fully the Agency’s OMV Plan including the further investigation of the few remaining questions and concerns of Iraq’s clandestine nuclear programme arising from new information coming to the Agency’s attention. He further pointed out the importance and urgency of the resumption of the Agency’s activities in Iraq and expressed concern that the Agency is currently not in a position which would allow it to have knowledge of any prohibited activities which Iraq may have undertaken since the suspension of inspections. He expressed his dismay at the non-compliance by North Korea to the safeguards agreement and called on the Government of the DPRK to fully implement the requirements of the agreement so as to facilitate the detection and verification operations undertaken by the Agency concerning North Korea’s previous nuclear activities. With regard to Article 6 of the Agency’s Statute, he recalled that Kuwait endorses the objective of equitable representation. He further expressed his country’s determination to pursue the strengthening of the Agency’s vital role either in the field of verification of the peaceful use of nuclear energy as well as in the field of upgrading the scientific and technical capabilities of developing countries. He concluded by expressing his appreciation of the Agency’s efforts and activities in all fields, in particular in the fields of nuclear safety, industry, agriculture, medicine and the environment.

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Kuwait, Mr. Faisal Rashed Al-Ghais, Ambassador to Austria and Resident Representative to the Agency:



the Agency: He opened his statement by noting that crucial items on the Agenda include measures to strengthen international cooperation in nuclear radiation and waste safety, measures against illicit trafficking of nuclear weapons materials and measures addressing the Y2K issue. He recalled that Kuwait had concluded a Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA within in the framework of the Non Proliferation Treaty and is currently studying the Additional Protocol with the prospect of signing. He stressed the importance of the application of the safeguards regime in the Middle East and underlined the link between the application of the safeguards system in the region and the declaration of the Middle East as a nuclear weapons free zone. In order to reach an agreement in this respect, he put special emphasis on the importance of the Agency’s role and called for Israel to accede to the NPT and to place its nuclear installations under Agency control. He went on to say that Kuwait endorses an agreement to rid the region of all weapons of mass destruction, be they nuclear, biological, chemical or ballistic. He expressed his appreciation for the technical cooperation activities of the Agency and commended the TC strategy, which contributes to the realization of the development priorities of the concerned developing countries. He also stressed the importance of the Agency’s activities in Iraq, which ensure security and stability in the region. He underlined his country’s view that subject to Iraq’s cooperation, there would be no technical impediment to implement fully the Agency’s OMV Plan including the further investigation of the few remaining questions and concerns of Iraq’s clandestine nuclear programme arising from new information coming to the Agency’s attention. He further pointed out the importance and urgency of the resumption of the Agency’s activities in Iraq and expressed concern that the Agency is currently not in a position which would allow it to have knowledge of any prohibited activities which Iraq may have undertaken since the suspension of inspections. He expressed his dismay at the non-compliance by North Korea to the safeguards agreement and called on the Government of the DPRK to fully implement the requirements of the agreement so as to facilitate the detection and verification operations undertaken by the Agency concerning North Korea’s previous nuclear activities. With regard to Article 6 of the Agency’s Statute, he recalled that Kuwait endorses the objective of equitable representation. He further expressed his country’s determination to pursue the strengthening of the Agency’s vital role either in the field of verification of the peaceful use of nuclear energy as well as in the field of upgrading the scientific and technical capabilities of developing countries. He concluded by expressing his appreciation of the Agency’s efforts and activities in all fields, in particular in the fields of nuclear safety, industry, agriculture, medicine and the environment.