INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY DIRECTOR MUHAMED EL-BARADEI MET WITH BOSNIAN PRESIDENCY MEMBERS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (April 24,2008) – The President of the Bosnian State Presidency Dr Haris Silajdzic and members of the Bosnian Presidency Zeljko Komsic and Nebojsa Radmanovic had a meeting in Sarajevo yesterday with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director Dr. Muhammed el-Baradei on priorities of future cooperation between IAEA and BiH.

”It is about medical prevention, early diagnosis of a disease and prevention at the Bosnian borders, where scanners are set up to control everything that is imported to the country through transport”, President Silajdzic told the press after the meeting.

The scanners are being set up at the borders. There will be 12 scanners, the first one will be set up at the Izacic state border crossing.

As stated, Bosnia as adopted the law on radiation safety, but the state regulatory agency is yet to come to life.

”In any case, there is a law; regulatory agency will certainly be formed and we will have a better cooperation with the IAEA”, President Silajdzic explained.

Diseases of animals were a special focus, especially brucellosis. Nuclear technology could contribute the disease’s diagnostics.

New programs Bosnia is yet to become a part of have not been discussed. The so-called PACT (Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy) – was named as an example. IAEA has been developing the program in cooperation with the World Health Organization. It is expected that Bosnia will become a member of the program.

IAEA General director emphasized the wish of the Agency for cooperation with Bosnia.

”We would like to expand that work”, Baradei told the press in Sthe bosnian capital Sarajevo.

According to him, the cooperation would focus on the human health sector, as well as on diseases of animals and nuclear safety sector.

”We have cooperated with many institutions in the process of revealing and treating cancer. We would like Bosnia to increase the capacities in that sense and we would also like the country to be provided with assistance aimed to prevent the disease”, IAEA Director General said.

He recommended the increase of capacities in Bosnia for the purpose of ensuring food safety programs. In that sense, contaminated food would not be imported. He said that in the sector of nuclear safety it is a “high zone of activities where all things need to be put under control”.

”We want to see here an independent regulatory body which is completely functional. We want to know that the body has its director and other staff”, he said.

He thinks that prevention of illegal activities at the state borders is very important. That includes prevention of trade of nuclear materials across the state border.

In that sense, training of the personnel at the customs was marked as extremely important.

”Those are the issues we have discussed today in the sense of expansion of cooperation. We need to make sure that the lives of the Bosnian citizens are improved”, E-Baradei said.

President Silajdzic expressed pleasure over the IAEA Director General’s visit, for he is a fighter for peaceful use of nuclear energy and is one of the Nobel Peace Prize Winners (2005).

“This has also been an opportunity to thank Dr El-Baradei for the assistance IAEA has provided for Bosnia”, President Silajdzic emphasized.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was formed as an autonomous body on July 29 1957. The main goal was the use of atomic energy into peaceful purposes and prevention of its use into military purposes. That was the answer to a deep fear and expectations, as well as a result of the atomic energy discovery.

In Oslo, December 9 2005, Dr. Muhammed el-Baradei received Nobel Peace Prize for the contribution in spread of nuclear weapons’ expansion and for implementation of policy of having nuclear energy used for peaceful purposes.
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