The Syrian Atomic Energy Commission announced that the country is continuing its work to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and that an IAEA delegation will arrive in Damascus in the coming days. It said Syria’s progress in nuclear energy would be announced in a joint statement during the visit.
The commission said cooperation with the United States and friendly countries was continuing to address the legacy left by the previous regime and support the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Efforts are also under way to activate Syria’s full membership in the IAEA.
Damascus calls for technical support
The statement said the aim was to support the peaceful use of nuclear energy in areas such as healthcare, food and scientific research. It said Syria had made progress using its own resources but had limited technical capabilities.
A call was made to establish an international committee of experts to provide the necessary technical and legal support.
Claims over nuclear materials
U.S. and Israeli officials said Washington and Tel Aviv had been holding talks for more than a year over the removal of materials allegedly left over from the previous regime’s al-Kibar nuclear reactor project.
Israeli officials claimed that the materials were being kept at a secret facility known as “Site 99.” They also alleged that Israel had warned the United States that it could take military action in the region if the materials were not removed.
U.S. officials alleged that the facility contained yellowcake, a uranium concentrate obtained by processing uranium ore and used in the early stages of nuclear fuel production, as well as other materials allegedly left over from the al-Kibar project.
Officials said the United States had asked Israel not to take military action over the nuclear materials. Washington had reached agreements with Tel Aviv and Damascus on removing the materials from the facility and had involved the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the process, officials said.
It was alleged that the agency began preparations after the IAEA and Syria signed an agreement on removing the materials.
