Statement by Denmark at the IAEA General Conference

Statement by Denmark
As delivered by Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Minster for Foreign Affairs of Denmark

Madam President,

We congratulate you on your appointment.

Denmark aligns itself with the EU statement.

Once again, Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine is setting the scene for the General Conference. Ukraine’s nuclear facilities must be kept safe and secure. And Russia has to withdraw all personnel from Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant.

We fully support the IAEA’s important work in Ukraine. Denmark has decided to make a voluntary financial contribution to the Agency for this purpose. We greatly appreciate all staff and especially those working in challenging circumstances in Ukraine. We also thank the Director General for establishing five principles for nuclear safety and security at the ZNPP and call for their implementation in full respect of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Madam President,

Denmark fully supports the work of the Agency, and we welcome the many contributions in the fields of non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear technology. In particular, we strongly support the safeguards system.

We are deeply concerned by the current lack of cooperation by Iran with the Agency. We urge Iran to live up to its obligations, and to provide the necessary information.

We are also troubled by Iran’s continued expansion of its nuclear activities, which lack a credible civilian purpose. The Agency’s verification is as important as ever.

Madam President,

We look to the Agency to provide standards and guidance on nuclear safety and security. These standards must evolve to keep up with the technological development. We all have a clear interest in promoting nuclear safety and security.

We want the Agency to be able to assist Member States in improving national nuclear security, and Denmark is a significant contributor to the Nuclear Security Fund. We regret the heavy reliance of the Agency’s work on voluntary contributions, however. And we call for adequate resources from the regular budget.

We welcome the Agency’s ongoing monitoring of the release of treated water from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station. This showcases the importance of the Agency’s impartial and fact-based work. This complements the transparency shown by Japan.

Turning to the peaceful uses, we have been pleased to pledge our full share of the Technical Cooperation Fund target for 2024 to foster development and growth.

Madam President,

As we face the challenges of the current security environment, we need not less but more multilateralism and international cooperation. I thank the Director General and the dedicated staff of the IAEA for their invaluable contribution to building a safer and more prosperous world.

Thank you, Madam President