MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th March, 2023) Australia must reach an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding the transfer of conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines to the country under the AUKUS pact, the international watchdog said on Tuesday.
On Monday, the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, also known as AUKUS, agreed to supply Australia with conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines much faster than originally planned.
"Australia as a non-nuclear-weapon State (NNWS) party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) concluded with the Agency a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA) in connection with the NPT and an additional protocol thereto (AP) ... Article 14 of Australia's CSA allows Australia to use nuclear material which is required to be safeguarded under the CSA in a nuclear activity, such as nuclear propulsion for submarines, provided that Australia makes an arrangement with the Agency in this regard," the IAEA said in a statement.
Additionally, Australia has sent a request to the IAEA to start negotiations on an agreement required under Article 14 of Australia's CSA, the statement said, adding that Australia also "provided to the Agency preliminary design information related to this project."
IAEA head Rafael Grossi will keep the board of Governors and member states informed of the future work, as well as will "submit a report on this matter to the next regular session of the Board of Governors, to take place in Vienna in June 2023."
