The Co-operative Agreement for Arab States in Asia for Research, Development and Training related to Nuclear Science and Technology (ARASIA) Board of Representatives Meeting was held from the 11th to the 14th April at the Middle East Scientific Institute For Security, Amman, Jordan. The meeting participants included the ARASIA National Representatives with the participation of the Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation, Mr Dazhu Yang who assured the IAEA support to the ARASIA Agreement.
This four-day meeting provided a platform for deliberations on strategic and policy issues pertaining to the management of ARASIA and its future programme to ensure that ARASIA cooperation has a real and sustainable impact.
In this regard, as a step towards mutual learning among ARASIA countries to accelerate development in the area nuclear technology, the necessary modality, procedures and concrete timeframe for designation of ARASIA Regional Centres was discussed and agreed upon.
In addition, during this meeting, the 36 project proposals submitted by the National Representatives for the ARASIA TC programme for 2018–2019 were reviewed, analysed, and evaluated. After merging proposals with similar and/or complementary scopes, seven regional projects of broader scopes were selected and prioritized for subsequent submission to the IAEA.
The meeting also emphasized on the importance of the Guidelines and Operating Rules and the necessary measures for an effective and efficient implementation of the ARASIA TC Program.
This meeting reaffirmed the importance of this Co-operative Agreement among Arab States and demonstrated the commitment and ownership of all the different stakeholders in the ARASIA programme.
Background
The Co-operative Agreement for Arab States in Asia for Research, Development and Training related to Nuclear Science and Technology (ARASIA) is an intergovernmental agreement established in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for harnessing nuclear science and technology in support of socio-economic development through effective cooperative approaches, taking advantage of the potential in the region for networking and partnership.
ARASIA States Parties are: Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
For more information please visit the ARASIA website: http://web.aec.org.sy/arasia/