Vienna, September 09 (QNA) - The State of Qatar called on members of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to vote in favor of the draft resolution to remove the item "Implementation of the Safeguards Agreement in the Syrian Arab Republic" from the Board's agenda, thereby allowing Syria to restore its normal status within the Agency.
This came during a speech delivered by HE Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Federal Republic of Austria and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and International Organizations in Vienna Jassim Yaqoub Al Hammadi, before the Board of Governors' vote. His Excellency expressed the State of Qatar's thanks to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the Kingdom of Morocco for their initiative in drafting the resolution and the efforts and consultations they conducted with Board members to facilitate its adoption.
His Excellency pointed out that the IAEA Director General's report confirmed that Syria has taken measures to address the current situation and facilitate the resolution of outstanding issues related to previous nuclear activities dating back to the era of the former regime, explaining that the Director General described the progress achieved in resolving these issues as a "historic breakthrough."
He emphasized that this progress was achieved thanks to the Syrian government's initiative to open a new page in its relations with the Agency and cooperate with it transparently, which enabled the Agency to clarify and resolve its inquiries related to outstanding safeguards issues.
HE Al Hammadi explained that the adoption of the draft resolution, based on the Director General's report and the Syrian government's commitment to continued cooperation, will pave the way for the brotherly Syrian Arab Republic to benefit more broadly from the peaceful applications of nuclear energy, support development and reconstruction efforts, consolidate stability, and improve the living standards of the Syrian people. (QNA)