VIENNA (TASS): The United States, Australia and the United Kingdom, in connection with the announced new security alliance AUKUS, are to report the details of this project to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This statement was made on Wednesday by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi at the Board of Governors of the organization in Vienna.
According to Grossi, at the request of China, the IAEA Board of Governors will consider the transfer of nuclear materials in the context of AUKUS and guarantees in accordance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as a separate topic.
The Director General indicated that the IAEA Secretariat has not received additional information since September about the project of the USA, Australia and the UK, its possible impact on the agency’s guarantees under the existing non-proliferation mechanisms.
“I have reminded the three parties of their reporting obligations under their safeguards agreements and additional protocols that may relate to the implementation of their safeguards under this draft. We stand ready to engage with all parties to discuss the impact of this project on safeguards implementation under existing safeguards. legal instruments of the parties, “Grossi said in a statement.
The creation of AUKUS was announced by Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States on 15 September. The agreements worked out by them provide, in particular, plans for Australia to build at least eight nuclear submarines using US technologies, as well as to re-equip its armed forces with American cruise missiles. Currently, nuclear submarines are not in service with Australia.
Earlier, Grossi noted that the IAEA is not completely clear about the technological model that will be used in the framework of AUKUS. He confirmed that the IAEA had initiated a series of checks due to Australia’s plans to create a nuclear submarine fleet. Grossi did not rule out that these plans of Australia would create a precedent for the construction of nuclear submarines by other non-nuclear countries, and this entails serious issues related to nonproliferation.
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