Morocco, IAEA to Bolster Partnership in Nuclear Applications

Director General of the National Center for Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology (CNESTEN) Hamid Marah, and Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Mariano Grossi, inked two major partnership agreements in Vienna on Monday. The signing ceremony, held on the sidelines of the Agency’s 68th General Conference, was attended by Minister for Energy Transition and Sustainable Development Leila Benali, and Morocco’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the International Organisations in Vienna Azzeddine Farhane. The first agreement concerns the second renewal, for the period 2025-2029, of CNESTEN’s recognition as an International Collaborating Center in the use of nuclear and isotopic techniques in three fields: water resource management, environmental protection and industrial applications. The second agreement focuses on developping skills and capabilities in the fields of radiological safety, transport safety, radioactive waste safety and nuclear security. The aim is to meet Morocco’s growing needs in terms of socio-economic development through better sustainable management of its resources, while continuing to share its knowledge and experience, particularly with African countries. On this occasion, IAEA’s Director General handed out two awards to Marah in recognition of the CNESTEN as a collaborating centre of the Agency in peaceful nuclear applications.