Remarks as Prepared for Secretary Bodman
Thank you all for coming.
Ministers, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen of the press, thank you all for being here. I'm Sam Bodman, the U.S. Secretary of Energy.
As I think most of you know, President Bush suggested a Global Nuclear Energy Partnership - or GNEP - to allow developing nations to share in the benefits of nuclear power in an environmentally sensitive way, consistent with our nonproliferation goals. And the most essential aspect of this endeavor, however we label it, is cooperation with partners to meet common goals.
Today, the Ministers and Atomic Energy officials from Japan, France, People's Republic of China, and the Russian Federation and I engaged in productive discussion about GNEP. We benefited from information and insights provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which participated as an observer.
Our goal was to affirm the GNEP vision, project how we will harmonize our work and agree how to expand the partnership to other interested states. And I am pleased to say, I think we met those goals.
Our nuclear industries are both partners and competitors. But we have never before come together in this way, with all our countrywide and commercial capabilities, to solve some of the most difficult global energy challenges.
At the outset, the vision for a Global Nuclear Energy Partnership was described in broad terms to allow for the employment of a diverse collection of technologies and solutions to effectively meet the growing global demand for power through increased use of nuclear energy while heeding the requirements for effective waste disposition and nonproliferation policies and procedures.
In fact, this diversity is a significant strength. The participants gathered here today believe that there are a number of near- and long-term technical challenges must be met. They include development of advanced, more proliferation resistant approaches to the fuel cycle as well as reactor technologies that will preserve existing international market regulations.
We also recognize that countrywide priorities, legislation and capabilities result in each country having unique nuclear energy needs and challenges and that a variety of approaches and technical pathways may be necessary to achieve their long-term goals.
It is our common view that the long-term vision of the global nuclear fuel cycle cannot be reached without broader cooperation and partnerships involving nations that currently utilize, or are planning to develop, civilian nuclear energy.
We recognize the need for a variety of approaches and technical pathways in achieving long-term vision of the future global civilian nuclear fuel cycle. And, as such, cooperation in the following areas will be developed to support it: We will work to support the expansion of nuclear power. . .realizing its contribution to sustainable development and assistance in meeting the world-wide growing energy demand, while encouraging a closed fuel cycle which supports minimization of waste volumes and radioactivity as well as effectively managing global nuclear resource.
We will pursue the development and demonstration of advanced technologies for recycling spent nuclear fuel that meet our energy and nonproliferation goals.
We will incorporate the highest levels of safety, security and safeguards, while working to address proliferation concerns.
We will develop, demonstrate and deploy advanced fast reactors.
We will promote the development of grid-appropriate power reactors suitable for regional use.
We will ensure that materials and technologies utilized in the civilian fuel cycle are used only for peaceful purposes.
We decided to work toward broader cooperation and partnership, including the convening of a conference to follow this one. And we recognize the need to utilize existing international fora in order to foster the broadest possible dialogue among nations.
This has been a remarkable Ministerial gathering. The international energy leaders here are committed to aligning and leveraging efforts to expand nuclear power as a clear, secure, safe and sustainable energy alternative.
I thank my colleagues for their contributions today and look forward to working closely with them in the future on this, as well as with new partners.
Thank you.
