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IAEA chief ElBaradei conferred with 2008 Indira Gandhi Prize |
President Pratibha Devisingh
Patil conferred the 2008 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development
on Mohamad ElBaradei, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Wednesday. The prize includes a plaque
and cheque of Rs. 2.5 million. ElBaradei was bestowed this coveted award for his
steadfast espousal of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. An international jury selected
ElBaradei's name for the coveted prize last November. The award was given for
ElBaradei's impassioned opposition to the use of nuclear energy for military purposes
and his unwavering espousal of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, sustained
over the years. Mohamed ElBaradei, during his thanksgiving speech after receiving
the prize, expressed his happiness at this lifting of restrictions on India 's
nuclear trade and placed trust in India that it would maintain the highest standards
of nuclear safety and security. "I'm delighted at the recent unjust restrictions
on India 's nuclear trade which came to an end quite recently. This has opened
the door for India to accelerate its use of nuclear power to help meet its energy
needs, combat climate change and secure energy independence. I trust that India
will spare no efforts in practising and advocating the highest standards of nuclear
safety and security," said ElBaradei. Hailing the recent moves by the United States
and Russia in negotiating significant cuts in their nuclear arsenals, ElBaradei
opined that with this step, finally the issue of nuclear disarmament is back on
the international agenda after a long hiatus. ElBaradei further said that only
by demonstrating the irreversible commitment to achieving a world free from nuclear
weapons, would the weapon states gain the moral assault to call on the rest of
the world to curb the proliferation of these inhumane weapons. "Nuclear disarmament
is, after a long hiatus finally back on the international agenda. President Medvedev
and Obama have made a commitment to cut their countries' nuclear arsenal by as
much as a third. It is ... prospect of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)
coming into force and the conference on disarmament in Geneva , have agreed to
negotiate a treaty that would outlaw the production of fissile material for use
in nuclear weapons. But, only by demonstrating the irreversible commitment to
achieving a world free from nuclear weapons, will the weapon states can contribute
to the legitimacy of the non-proliferation regime and gain the moral assault to
call on the rest of the world to curb the proliferation of these inhumane weapons,"
the IAEA chief said. Earlier he had hailed India 's peaceful use of nuclear sources
as means of progress and to meet its energy needs. Prime Minister Manmohan Dr.
Singh Speaking on this occasion, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said it was
only through the concerted efforts of the world community that it is possible
to promote peaceful use of nuclear energy. Dr. Singh also noted that it should
not remain confined to a privileged few. "We need the concerted and collective
efforts of world community to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy as widely
as possible. Its benefits should not remain confined to a privileged few. The
growth of nuclear energy must grow hand in hand with measures to reduce and eliminate
the risks of its misuse. We should work to strengthen public trust and confidence
in issues related to nuclear safety and security," said Dr. Singh. Just as the
world was seeking to enhance peaceful uses of nuclear energy, there was a pressing
and immediate moral obligation to draw down and eventually do away with its destructive
use of nuclear energy, Singh had said on Tuesday (September 29) while addressing
a conference on Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy hosted in New Delhi . He also
mentioned about India 's nuclear industry being poised for a major expansion and
said that seeking international cooperation is an important component towards
achieving that growth. ElBaradei, 67, played an significant role in India clinching
the safeguards agreement with the IAEA, which paved the way for the Nuclear Suppliers
Group (NSG) clearing India 's re-entry into international nuclear commerce last
year in September. |
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