The Moroccan ambassador to the United States, Youssef Amrani, participated on Monday in Washington in a meeting chaired by the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, Bonnie Jenkins, focusing on the Sustained Dialogue on the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy, Science, and Technology (SDPU).
During this meeting held at the State Department, Mr. Amrani praised the efforts made under the SDPU initiative, “an important platform and a valuable partner” for scientific and technological cooperation in various key sectors, including water, environment, food, and health.
He specified that the objectives of this initiative are in line with Morocco’s national priorities outlined in the New Development Model, as well as the Kingdom’s commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The ambassador recalled in this regard that Morocco actively participates in activities related to the SDPU, notably through its competent agencies, namely the National Center for Nuclear Energy, Science, and Technology (CNESTEN) and the Moroccan Agency for Nuclear and Radiological Safety and Security (AMSSNuR).
Since its accession to the IAEA in 1957, Morocco has introduced nuclear techniques for peaceful purposes in various sectors and has benefited from significant cooperation and support from the IAEA, particularly through training, expertise, and the acquisition of cutting-edge equipment, Mr. Amrani noted.
He added that both AMSSNuR and CNESTEN are recognized, at the regional and continental levels, as centers of excellence in capacity building, training, and technical support, as well as in promoting regulation in this area.
Speaking about the assistance provided by Morocco to African countries in this field, the ambassador expressed the Kingdom’s willingness to work on developing triangular and multilateral cooperation initiatives, involving on one hand the SDPU and the IAEA, and on the other hand the interested member states.
Such partnerships would, he said, further strengthen knowledge and expertise in this important area across Africa.
The SDPU is an initiative aimed at supporting the continued progress and the right of all to benefit from the peaceful uses of nuclear technology, as enshrined in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). This initiative also aims to create a cooperative platform to better highlight the areas where nuclear technologies have the most impact, in the context of achieving the SDGs.