New nuclear technology agreement signed with International Atomic Energy Agency

SINGAPORE - Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Grace Fu and the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Mr Yukiya Amano today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Singapore-IAEA Third Country Training Programme.

Singapore and the IAEA have been collaborating to jointly provide technical assistance to other developing IAEA member states to promote the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies since 2000.

Under this new MOU, Singapore and the IAEA will provide assistance in areas such as nuclear medicine and nuclear safety to developing countries.

Ms Fu, who is also Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, also hosted Mr Amano to a working lunch after the signing ceremony. They engaged in a candid and wide-ranged discussion on international and regional developments in nuclear safety. They also talked about how the region can work more closely with the IAEA in areas of nuclear safety and the peaceful applications of nuclear science.

Mr Amano's visit to Singapore was part of a regional tour of Southeast Asia. He concludes his work visit to Singapore today.

ssandrea@sph.com.sg