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AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT: METSAMOR ATOMIC ELECTRIC STATION IS A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF DISASTER FOR THE REGION AND CLOSE NEIGHBORS
APA
March 28 2012
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the global nuclear safety
Baku-APA. "Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the global nuclear
safety, and joined the major international agreements such as the
International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear
Terrorism and the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear
Material", - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said during his
speech at the opening plenary session of the Summit on Nuclear Safety,
which took place in Seoul, APA reports.
Ilham Aliev thanked the President of the Republic of Korea for hosting
this important event and Azerbaijan sent an invitation to take part
in the summit: "Azerbaijan considers the important role played by
the International Atomic Energy Agency in the establishment of norms
and standards to ensure nuclear safety. Our country has established a
successful cooperation with the agency on various aspects of nuclear
safety. We intend to further expand the existing successful partnership
through the State Agency for Regulation of nuclear and radiological
activities, established by us in 2008. Given the threat of nuclear
proliferation and our geographic location, Azerbaijan attaches great
importance to the prevention of cases of use of its territory as a
transit route for nuclear smuggling. Working closely with international
organizations, Azerbaijan, through high standards based on sound legal
framework has created an effective system of export controls. This
system justifies itself as a reliable mechanism to prevent nuclear
smuggling" , - Head of State said.
"Unfortunately, due to the continuing occupation of neighboring
Armenia, 20 percent of our land there is no control over the 130 miles
of our internationally recognized southern boundary and a large part
of our border with Armenia. As a result of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, these territories for 20
years under Armenian occupation. In these areas of Armenia held a
policy of ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijanis. Armenia ignores the
four UN Security Council resolution calling for the unconditional
and immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces from the territory
of Azerbaijan", - Ilham Aliyev said.
Azerbaijani President emphasized that considering the geographical
conditions and potential transboundary environmental effects,
Azerbaijan fully supports efforts to strengthen safety and security of
civilian nuclear facilities. "You should be very serious consideration
to the terrible accident that occurred recently in the nuclear power
plant in Fukushima in the tsunami. Azerbaijan is extremely concerned
about the activities of the Metsamor nuclear power plant in Armenia,
which became operational in 1976 and is now outdated. Metsamor station
is a potential source of disaster for the region and nearby neighbors.
It is located in a highly seismic zone, where the lack of water
needed to cool the living out its last years of the reactor. The
European Union recognized the Metsamor reactor "the most outdated
and unreliable" of 66 Soviet reactors built in Eastern Europe and
former Soviet Union. The report Metsamor called "a threat to the
entire region", - he said.
"However, we propose to use modes of establishing a regional nuclear
safety and reliability and providing the authority of the party seeking
to build nuclear power plant. In this case, may be provided for such
procedures as obtaining consent from his neighbors, a transparent
exchange of information on safety and security of these areas,
receiving inspections and compensation for risk. In an effort to
further strengthen international understanding and cooperation in the
framework of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism and the
Body of Principles, to which Azerbaijan, we have during the presidency
of the UN Security Council in May this year, plan to hold high-level
discussions. This will be resembling an opportunity for discussions
on such broad issues as anti-terrorism, including the fight against
nuclear terrorism", - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said.
APA
March 28 2012
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the global nuclear safety
Baku-APA. "Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the global nuclear
safety, and joined the major international agreements such as the
International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear
Terrorism and the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear
Material", - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said during his
speech at the opening plenary session of the Summit on Nuclear Safety,
which took place in Seoul, APA reports.
Ilham Aliev thanked the President of the Republic of Korea for hosting
this important event and Azerbaijan sent an invitation to take part
in the summit: "Azerbaijan considers the important role played by
the International Atomic Energy Agency in the establishment of norms
and standards to ensure nuclear safety. Our country has established a
successful cooperation with the agency on various aspects of nuclear
safety. We intend to further expand the existing successful partnership
through the State Agency for Regulation of nuclear and radiological
activities, established by us in 2008. Given the threat of nuclear
proliferation and our geographic location, Azerbaijan attaches great
importance to the prevention of cases of use of its territory as a
transit route for nuclear smuggling. Working closely with international
organizations, Azerbaijan, through high standards based on sound legal
framework has created an effective system of export controls. This
system justifies itself as a reliable mechanism to prevent nuclear
smuggling" , - Head of State said.
"Unfortunately, due to the continuing occupation of neighboring
Armenia, 20 percent of our land there is no control over the 130 miles
of our internationally recognized southern boundary and a large part
of our border with Armenia. As a result of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, these territories for 20
years under Armenian occupation. In these areas of Armenia held a
policy of ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijanis. Armenia ignores the
four UN Security Council resolution calling for the unconditional
and immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces from the territory
of Azerbaijan", - Ilham Aliyev said.
Azerbaijani President emphasized that considering the geographical
conditions and potential transboundary environmental effects,
Azerbaijan fully supports efforts to strengthen safety and security of
civilian nuclear facilities. "You should be very serious consideration
to the terrible accident that occurred recently in the nuclear power
plant in Fukushima in the tsunami. Azerbaijan is extremely concerned
about the activities of the Metsamor nuclear power plant in Armenia,
which became operational in 1976 and is now outdated. Metsamor station
is a potential source of disaster for the region and nearby neighbors.
It is located in a highly seismic zone, where the lack of water
needed to cool the living out its last years of the reactor. The
European Union recognized the Metsamor reactor "the most outdated
and unreliable" of 66 Soviet reactors built in Eastern Europe and
former Soviet Union. The report Metsamor called "a threat to the
entire region", - he said.
"However, we propose to use modes of establishing a regional nuclear
safety and reliability and providing the authority of the party seeking
to build nuclear power plant. In this case, may be provided for such
procedures as obtaining consent from his neighbors, a transparent
exchange of information on safety and security of these areas,
receiving inspections and compensation for risk. In an effort to
further strengthen international understanding and cooperation in the
framework of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism and the
Body of Principles, to which Azerbaijan, we have during the presidency
of the UN Security Council in May this year, plan to hold high-level
discussions. This will be resembling an opportunity for discussions
on such broad issues as anti-terrorism, including the fight against
nuclear terrorism", - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said.