The State of Qatar stressed the importance of Israel cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding its nuclear capabilities, and to open its atomic reactors to inspectors.

HE Qatar's Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Austria, and its Permanent Representative to the United Nations and international organizations in Vienna Sultan bin Salmeen Al Mansouri, said in front of the session of the IAEA Board of Governors held in Vienna, during the discussion of Israeli nuclear capabilities item, that the State of Qatar strongly supports the rule of law In international relations, as a basic guarantee for creating a peaceful and stable international environment that enhances opportunities for sustainable development for all peoples, noting that the goal of nuclear disarmament in accordance with international agreements and United Nations resolutions is one of the means to uphold the rule of law in international relations.

His Excellency pointed out that all Arab countries, including the State of Qatar, joined the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and adopted and agreed to all international resolutions calling for the Middle East to be free of nuclear weapons, while Israel refuses to engage in these efforts.

His Excellency referred to Israel's behavior in its policy towards the Palestinians, its failure to observe international law, and its use of all kinds of weapons to oppress the Palestinian people.

His Excellency stressed that the recent Israeli aggression on Gaza, and the excessive and disproportionate use of force against civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, angered world public opinion, including Israeli public opinion, and raised fundamental questions about whether Israel behaves as a responsible state and uses its weapons in accordance with the rules of international law, and if there are guarantees that Israel will not use its weapons in an irresponsible way in the future, including the terrifying possibility of using nuclear weapons.

His Excellency responded to the allegations of the Israeli representative in the IAEA against the State of Qatar, and asked him to stop giving speeches of incitement and deliberately obliterating facts, and not to evade revealing the truth about Israel's nuclear capabilities, stressing the importance of Israel cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency regarding its nuclear capabilities, and to open its atomic reactors to inspectors. His Excellency urged the international community and its relevant institutions to support the goal of freeing the Middle East from nuclear weapons, and to take practical steps to achieve that goal, based on its legal and moral responsibility.

His Excellency delivered another statement in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors on technical cooperation, in which he praised the agency's role in assisting countries through the transfer of nuclear knowledge necessary to achieve sustainable social and economic development, especially in developing countries, and to address the Coronavirus pandemic.

His Excellency expressed Qatar's gratitude for the good cooperation that the agency maintains with Qatari institutions by providing advice and implementing a number of projects, noting that the State of Qatar is currently consulting with the agency in order to open new horizons for cooperation to serve national programs, as well as contributing to supporting the efforts of developing countries to use nuclear techniques for peaceful purposes.