Bloomberg: Atomic safety concern increasingly used as political weaponMarch 10, 2021 - 16:47 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Public concern over nuclear safety is increasingly being weaponized by politicians sniping at neighboring countries they disagree with, potentially damaging the long-term viability of a clean energy source, Bloomberg reports. The warning by International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi comes before the 10-year anniversary of Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi meltdowns. Last month, Lithuania called on European Parliament politicians to debate a brand-new Russian unit that began operating in neighboring Belarus. Saudi Arabia has repeatedly sewn doubt on the safety of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear unit across the Persian Gulf. Similar accusations have been directed against Armenia by Azerbaijan. “This is a new development,” Grossi said in an interview. “There is a temptation by some to take the nuclear safety argument and brandish it against their neighbor.” “We have to be wise enough to strike the balance between safety improvements from asphyxiation of an industry because of obsession with things that are good to have but not absolutely necessary,” Grossi said. “The problem is one of social perception, politics and economics but not safety.” Grossi said countries and regions should focus more on building trust in nuclear safety through transparency and regulatory exchanges. He endorsed a proposal by his IAEA predecessor Hans Blix to develop regional safety groups to build trust in the Middle East. Last month’s visit by European Union regulators to Belarus is another example of how countries can reduce tensions round safety, he said. “The political will to be good neighbors is the prerequisite,” Grossi said. “If we turn nuclear safety into a political football, then we are going to get into unnecessary problems.” Top stories The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. London’s Armenian community has been left feeling “under attack” after the city’s Genocide monument was vandalised. The United States believes there should be an international mission to provide transparency. Partner news | Turkey extends military presence in Azerbaijan The Turkish parliament has adopted a bill submitted by Recep Tayyip Erdogan to extend the mandate of Turkish troops. Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills Armenian, Saudi Foreign Minister meet in Riyadh The two commended the positive dynamics of the development of political dialogue between Armenia and Saudi Arabia Pashinyan: Azerbaijan’s proximity shouldn’t worry border residents At the same time, he said that he “does not guarantee [the security of villagers] one hundred percent”. |