UAE Delegation Attends Inaugural Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels
Brussels, The Gulf Observer: Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, led the United Arab Emirates (UAE) delegation in participation at the groundbreaking Nuclear Energy Summit, held for the first time on Thursday in the Belgian capital, Brussels.
Organized and hosted by the Belgian government in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Summit served as a platform for global leaders to deliberate on the role of nuclear power in driving sustainable development.
The UAE’s active engagement in the Summit underscores the international recognition of its effective role and remarkable achievements in the swift implementation of nuclear energy projects. Emphasizing the UAE’s status as a role model for countries interested in nuclear energy, the delegation highlighted the nation’s significant contribution to advancing clean energy technologies and solutions on a global scale.
During the sidelines of the Summit, Minister Al Mazrouei held meetings with esteemed counterparts, including Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan; Marisa Lago, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce; Kadri Simson, European Commissioner for Energy; and Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the IAEA. Accompanying Minister Al Mazrouei were Mohamed Al Sahlawi, the UAE Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, the European Union, and Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and Hamad Ali Al Kaabi, UAE Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The Nuclear Energy Summit, co-chaired by Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander De Croo and IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, followed the historic inclusion of nuclear energy in the Global Stocktake at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai in December 2023. More than 25 countries, including the UAE, launched a declaration during COP28 to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050, underscoring the urgency of accelerating the deployment of nuclear power alongside other low carbon energy sources to combat climate change and enhance energy security.
The declaration endorsed at the Nuclear Energy Summit outlines measures in areas such as financing, technological innovation, regulatory cooperation, and workforce training to facilitate the expansion of nuclear capacity worldwide. Leaders and representatives from 32 countries reaffirmed their commitment to nuclear energy as a vital component of the global strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ensure energy security, promote sustainable development, and foster a clean energy transition.
