Interim Foreign Affairs Minister Oana Toiu is leading Romania's delegation at the 70th Session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference, taking place in Vienna from September 14 to 18, with her participation focusing on the day of national statements, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) conveyed.

According to the MAE, in her speech to be delivered within the plenary session, Oana Toiu will reiterate Romania's firm support for promoting the peaceful, safe and responsible use of nuclear energy, in line with the international standards and requirements assumed by our country, as well as the role of the IAEA and Romania, as a member of the Board of Governors, in supporting the role of IAEA inspections at nuclear facilities and informing the UN Security Council on compliance with international commitments, as well as the necessary role during a period of heightened risks generated by armed conflicts.

The Romanian official will underscore Romania's continued support for the IAEA's work and the Agency's central role in promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy, in compliance with the highest standards in the fields of non-proliferation, nuclear safety and security, an essential effort in the context of multilateral diplomacy facing the risk of fragmentation.

Within her working visit to Vienna, the interim minister's agenda includes bilateral meetings with: IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, on nuclear non-proliferation files, the regulatory and investment environment to support the acceleration of nuclear energy production projects and flagship initiatives being pursued by Romania with European partners and in transatlantic partnerships; OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu; Director General of the United Nations Office at Vienna and Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Monica Juma.

The MAE notes that Romania's delegation, which also includes representatives of the Ministry of Energy and national institutions responsible for nuclear energy, has the following objectives:

* Supporting Romania's profile as a founding member of the IAEA and Romania's role, as a country elected to the Board of Governors, in the peaceful use of nuclear technologies;

* Promoting Romania's role as a nuclear energy supplier by doubling nuclear power generation capacity at the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant through the refurbishment of Reactor 1 and the construction of Reactors 3 and 4;

* Prioritising research and investment in the production of medical radioisotopes, promoting the Romania-France-Canada consortium (the IAEA conference also includes the Scientific Forum Rays of Hope: delivering on the promise of cancer care);

* Promoting Romania as a country involved in developing viable commercial models for SMRs (Small Modular Reactors), both within the Romania-US partnership and at European level (the Eagles consortium Romania-Italy-Belgium) for the development and commercial exploitation of a small modular reactor.

In the context of the participation in the IAEA General Conference, the Romanian delegation will hold bilateral meetings with representatives from the US, Canada, Switzerland, Hungary, Belgium, Argentina and Türkiye, in various technical formats or at high-level representation.

More than 3,000 participants from 182 countries are attending the meeting. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Oana Ghita; EN - writing by: Rodica State)