BRUSSELS: Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar Thursday met Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, on the sidelines of the Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels.

The Foreign Minister appreciated IAEA’s role in enhancing peaceful uses of nuclear technology and for organizing the First ever Nuclear Energy Summit. He highlighted that as a founder member, Pakistan attached great importance to the Agency’s work.

The Foreign Minister also highlighted the importance of nuclear energy in combatting climate change and Pakistan’s desire to enhance share of nuclear energy in the energy mix. He also underscored the importance of technical cooperation work of the Agency to which Pakistan is also making significant contribution.

Foreign Minister Dar stressed that the international financial institutions and banks should support nuclear energy projects in developing countries to enable them to meet their energy needs and achieving zero emissions goals. He urged IAEA to continue its role in sensitizing the world about the importance of nuclear energy as a clean source.

The Director General IAEA appreciated Pakistan’s collaboration with the agency. He added that in Asia, Pakistan is playing a key role in sharing experience and expertise with developing countries. He agreed that financing of nuclear projects was an issue and that he would soon engage with International Financial Institutions to resolve the issue.

The Director General IAEA fondly recalled his visit to Pakistan last year, when he had the first hand experience of visiting Pakistan’s facilities and witnessing Pakistan’s progress in the field of peaceful applications of nuclear technology.