IAEA, Kuwait sign agreement to protect marine environment
VIENNA: Kuwait yesterday signed an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the protection of the marine environment. The deal is significant since it focuses on technical and scientific knowhow across several fields, which fits into Kuwait’s 2035 vision for sustainable development, Kuwait’s ambassador to Austria Sadiq Marafie told KUNA after the deal was sealed.
The agreement, which was signed on behalf of the agency by its Acting Director General Cornel Feruta, is another chapter in Kuwait’s storied relationship with the global body, the Kuwaiti diplomat said. A separate deal will designate a Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) facility as among
centers affiliated with the IAEA, he revealed after the signing held on the sidelines of the Vienna-based IAEA General Conference. Two days earlier, KISR signed a pair of deals with the IAEA, focusing on the development of nuclear expertise in a myriad of fields.
Cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog (IAEA) has had a major role in helping Kuwait achieve sustainable development, particularly in relation to food agriculture, the environment and human development, a Kuwaiti official said on Tuesday. Through its ‘technical cooperation program,’ the IAEA is supporting capacity building, facilitating communication, enhancing knowledge exchange and developing partnerships with Kuwait, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research’s (KISR) Executive Director for Research and Construction, Osama Al-Sayegh said. Al-Sayegh, who is Kuwait’s liaison officer at the IAEA General Conference, revealed that this cooperation has been ongoing since 2003.
The technologies which are being transferred from the agency are being applied to projects involving various tasks. These include the improvement of production and water efficiency in regards to fodder crops, genetic mutation to improve barley harvest under harsh environmental conditions and subsurface groundwater assessment. Al-Sayegh added that the agency is also involved in training KISR staff as part of Kuwait’s ambitious national development plans.