DAMASCUS: UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said he visited Damascus on Tuesday to restart talks focused on fostering confidence in the peaceful use of atomic energy by Syria.
Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, met with President Bashar Assad, who had extended the invitation, and Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad.
“We’re ready to start working on reigniting high-level dialogue between the IAEA and Syria, focusing on building confidence in the peaceful use of nuclear energy in Syria,” Grossi wrote in a post on X.
Syria’s state news agency also reported Grossi’s visit.
IAEA inspectors last visited Syria in 2011, the year its civil war began after the government’s violent crackdown on street protests against Assad’s rule.
They were seeking to revive a stalled IAEA investigation into activity at a site in Syria’s eastern desert that US intelligence had deemed to be a nascent, North Korean-designed reactor intended to produce plutonium for atomic weaponry, before Israel bombed it to rubble in 2007.
The Vienna-based IAEA also sought information about other sites that may have been linked to the Deir Ezzor facility.
Syrian authorities have said it was a non-nuclear military site, but the IAEA concluded in 2011 that it was “very likely” to have been a reactor that should have been declared to nuclear non-proliferation inspectors.
UN nuclear watchdog chief visits Syria to restart talks
https://arab.news/2vbpc
UN nuclear watchdog chief visits Syria to restart talks
- IAEA inspectors last visited Syria in 2011, the year its civil war began after the government’s violent crackdown on street protests against Assad’s rule
GCC ambassadors hold discussions with Japan’s ruling party regarding Iran
- KONO Taro, head of the LDP’s international relations, participated in the high-level discussions alongside other senior officials
- Dr. Ghazi Faisal Binzagr, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Japan, described the meeting as a timely opportunity to exchange views on the evolving regional situation
TOKYO: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ambassadors met on Tuesday with leaders of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to explore deeper collaboration across multiple fields and tackle pressing issues related to Iran.
KONO Taro, head of the party’s international relations, participated in the high-level discussions alongside other senior officials.
Dr. Ghazi Faisal Binzagr, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Japan, described the meeting as a timely opportunity to exchange views on the evolving regional situation.
Ambassador Binzagr emphasized that during periods of heightened tension, open dialogue with trusted partners like Japan is essential. He noted that diplomacy and clear communication are vital for defusing conflict and maintaining regional stability.
Saudi Ambassador Binzagr further noted that the Gulf countries and Japan share a longstanding history of cooperation founded on mutual trust and common objectives of stability and prosperity. He stated, “In times such as these, it is precisely these enduring partnerships that allow constructive dialogue to prevail, and that help ensure that wisdom and restraint guide the path toward peace and stability in our region."
Kono underscored the strong bonds and active cooperation between Japan and the GCC, noting that Japan views its ties with the GCC as a strategic partnership.
