The use of nuclear energy in support of climate change goals, nuclear verification and possibilities for cooperation in nuclear safety projects in the Arctic were the main topics of discussion this morning between Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and President Sauli Niinistö of Finland.
“Finland and the IAEA have a common interest in nuclear safety and security [...] both globally and in the Arctic region,” Mr Niinistö said in a tweet today.
Mr Grossi and President Niinistö discussed strengthening cooperation between Finland and the IAEA, the upcoming Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and nuclear verification in Iran, including the implementation of the JCPOA agreement.
Mr Grossi also met Minister of Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto, Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari, Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä, Director General of the Energy Department at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment Riku Huttunen and Director General of Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), Petteri Tiippana.
Discussion topics included nuclear safety and security, safeguards implementation, Finland’s energy strategy, the Agency’s initiative on Nuclear Technology for Controlling Plastic pollution (NUTEC Plastic), the modernization of the IAEA’s laboratories in Seibersdorf (ReNuAL), the peaceful uses of nuclear technology in countering climate change, gender parity and the IAEA’s Marie Sklowdowska Curie Fellowship Programme. To learn more about the programme, click here.
“Finland is grateful for all the IAEA support, such as the peer review services it has benefited from and will continue to benefit from in the coming years,” said Liisa Heikinheimo, who is responsible for nuclear energy as Deputy Director General of the Energy Department at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. The IAEA offers its Member States a wide array of review services, in which an IAEA-led team of experts compares actual practices with IAEA standards in nuclear safety and security and other areas.
Peer review missions to Finland include International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) missions in 2009 and 2012, Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) missions in 2012 and 2015 and Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) missions in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
“Finland also thanks the IAEA for all the activities it has been running to assist in the COVID-19 pandemic,” Heikinheimo said. “Fortunately, during the pandemic Finland has kept operating its nuclear power plant units.”
Finland and the IAEA have a common interest in nuclear safety and security […] both globally and in the Arctic region.
