Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba Statement on Successful Startup of Unit 1 at Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant

Washington, DC (August 3, 2020) – Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba issued the following statement regarding the successful startup of Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant.

“Over a decade of strategic planning, international cooperation, and a commitment to clean energy is realized with the start-up of Unit 1 at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant.

“A significant milestone on this historic journey occurred over ten years ago when the U.S. and UAE signed the strongest bilateral civil nuclear agreement cooperation in history. Working with both political parties and spanning two administrations, the UAE voluntarily made the strongest possible nonproliferation commitments, forgoing domestic enrichment and reprocessing of nuclear material.

“The landmark U.S.-UAE 123 Agreement remains a model for the development of a peaceful and safe civilian nuclear energy program in the Middle East region. It is also a powerful affirmation of the UAE’s strong relationship with the U.S. government and commercial partners.

“This occasion is a momentous achievement for Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, the Chief Executive Officer at Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, countless people throughout the UAE, and the global nuclear safety community who guided this process forward, including our US government partners.”  

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