Indonesia records great achievements in nuclear utilisation

Indonesia has delivered numerous achievements in the utilisation of nuclear energy and technology for peaceful purposes and towards improving public welfare, mainly in agriculture and food, healthcare, maritime, and environmental sectors.
Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesia has delivered numerous achievements in the utilisation of nuclear energy and technology for peaceful purposes and towards improving public welfare, mainly in agriculture and food, healthcare, maritime, and environmental sectors.

Speaking at the Ministerial-Level Conference on Nuclear Science and Technology, organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria on November 28, Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Puan Maharani highlighted the importance of international cooperation in the use of nuclear science and technology, and the tangible benefits it can bring to national development.

She explained that Indonesia was among those developing countries to have notably benefited from the IAEA programmes in the use of nuclear science and technology, especially for superior plant seed production, livestock quality improvement, national cancer control programmes, and air pollution monitoring.

In addition, nuclear technology is also used in the handling of the earthquakes and the tsunami that recently hit Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, and Palu in Central Sulawesi, she added.

Apart from being a beneficiary, Indonesia also contributes to the use of nuclear technology by other developing countries. The abilities of Indonesian experts in the nuclear field are recognised by the IAEA, so they are often approached to offer training to experts from other countries.

The cooperation framework used by Indonesia to assist other countries is through the Peaceful Uses Initiatives (PUI), Regional Capacity Building Initiative (RCBI), and South-South Cooperation (SSC).

The Minister stressed the rights of the IAEA member countries to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and access to assistance provided by the IAEA must be guaranteed and must not be limited by any prerequisites.

On the sidelines of the conference, she held a bilateral meeting with IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano, during which the two sides agreed to enhance  their cooperation in utilising nuclear technology for peaceful and development purposes.

Meanwhile, Yukiya Amano recognised Indonesia’s role so far in the field, expressing the hope that the country would play a greater role in the field of nuclear technology. –VNA
VNA

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