The people of Ecuador are rising up to refound their country as a pluri-national homeland for all. This inspiring movement, with Ecuador's indigenous peoples at its heart, is part of the revolution spreading across the Americas, laying the groundwork for a new, fairer, world. Ecuador Rising aims to bring news and analysis of events unfolding in Ecuador to english speakers.

Monday, April 06, 2009

IAEA to Fund Ecuador Nuclear Projects

Quito, Mar 25 (Prensa Latina) International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Director Mohamed ElBaradei on Wednesday continues his visit to Ecuador, where he pledged support for Ecuadoran authorities´ plans to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

After meeting on Tuesday Vice President Lenin Moreno, ElBaradei said IAEA has approved seven projects for 2009-2011 with the agency's technical cooperation worth $1.1 million aimed at increasing the use of nuclear technology in medicine, agriculture and other fields.

This concern four new projects to promote the creation of a nuclear instrumentation center, improve the use of irrigation water from Chota River, and a national tissue bank, as well as the improvement of a nuclear medicine department in a university hospital in Guayaquil, he said.

The UN official and 2005 Peace Nobel Prize winner also expressed his agency´s willingness to cooperate with Ecuador in the exploration and exploitation of uranium.

This is an alternative to change its oil-based energy matrix, stated ElBaradei by stressing that the use of nuclear energy to produce electricity is a solution to the exhaustion of other fuels.

ElBaradei is visiting Ecuador as part of Latin America tour that already took him to Venezuela. He is scheduled to visit Bolivia on Thursday.

Ecuador, as a member of the IAEA Board of Governors from 2007-2009 supports the Vienna-based UN agency´s efforts to achieve disarmament and the non-proliferation of weapons of massive destruction.

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