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Thank you Mr Chairman.
New Zealand would like to thank the Director General for the report before us on the NPT Safeguards Agreement in the Syrian Arab Republic. We would also like to thank DDG Heinonen and the Safeguards team for the excellent technical briefing they provided on the report last week.
Mr Chairman
The Director General’s latest report again raises serious concerns about the lack of cooperation from Syria on important aspects of the Agency’s investigation into outstanding safeguards issues.
New Zealand notes that, in the course of the Agency’ investigation into the origin and presence of uranium particles at the Miniature Neutron Source Reactor Syria has provided information on previously unreported conversion and irradiation activities, along with additional explanations concerning the presence of anthropogenic natural uranium particles, at this facility. We note also that Syria has submitted updated design information for the MNSR and a draft inventory change report concerning the newly declared nuclear material. We note that this information is still being assessed by the Agency. We hope that this assessment will answer the Agency’s remaining questions at this facility.
But it is with deep concern, Mr Chairman, that we note the report’s conclusion that Syria has not cooperated with the Agency since June 2008 in connection with the unresolved issues related to the Dair Alzour site.
New Zealand calls on Syria to provide the Agency with the information it needs regarding the Dair Alzour site, the infrastructure observed at the site and certain procurement efforts which Syria has stated were related to civilian non-nuclear activities, with access to technical information and other information related to the construction of the destroyed facility, and access to the sites where the debris from the facility was relocated, the remains of munitions, equipment and any salvaged equipment, as well as further access to the Dair Alzour site and the other three locations allegedly functionally related to it.
Mr Chairman
New Zealand supports the Director General’s call to urge Syria to bring into force an Additional Protocol to its Safeguards Agreement which will facilitate the Agency’s work in verifying the correctness and completeness of Syria’s declarations.
We call on Syria to cooperate on the full range of issues in its nuclear file as soon as possible so that any outstanding issues can be resolved as completely and expeditiously as possible.
Finally Mr Chairman, given the concerns expressed, New Zealand supports keeping this item on the Board agenda until all of the Dair Alzour issues have been resolved.
Thank you Mr Chairman.
