IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano congratulated Brazil and Argentina on the 25th anniversary of the Brazilian – Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials (ABACC), today.
“This is a very important and successful achievement by their Governments in the area of nuclear verification,” Mr Amano said. “It required determination, vision and a commitment to transparency by both countries regarding their nuclear programmes.”
ABACC was established under an agreement signed in Guadalajara, Mexico on 18 July 1991 between Argentina and Brazil to ensure exclusively peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Regarding the ABACC’s on-going cooperation with the IAEA in the implementation of safeguards, jointly conducting inspections, training sessions and other safeguards activities were underscored by Mr Amano. More than 70 nuclear installations in the two countries are under safeguards by the IAEA and ABACC.
Mr Amano also highlighted Latin America’s pioneering role in establishing the first nuclear weapon free zone under the Treaty of Tlatelolco.
The close cooperation between IAEA and Brazil and Argentina is not limited to safeguards, Mr Amano said. “It covers a wide range of IAEA activities that contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals adopted last year.”