We are not opposed toKudankulam nuclear power plant: Sri Lanka

New Delhi (CNST), Apr.16: Sri Lanka has refuted reports that it wasapproaching the International Atomic EnergyAgency (IAEA) against the Kudankulam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu. Reacting to a report in TOI,quoting Lankan media, R L Wijayawardana, chairman of the Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) of Sri Lanka said in a statement on Monday: "Sri Lanka has not brought up the issue of the safety of Kudankulam Nuclear PowerPlant against India's votingat the 19th session of the UNHRC." The Lankan statement comes as a delegation of parliamentarians from different political parties left for Sri Lanka on Monday to travel across the country and see the pace of development and interact with the people. The delegation, led by leader of opposition, Sushma Swaraj, includes MPs from political parties like BJD, BJP, CPI (M), INC, JD (U) and SP. The MEA spokesperson said: "The primary focus of the delegation will be in the areas recovering from thirty years conflict in the North and East of Sri Lanka where development assistance projects for theresettlement and rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and reconstruction of areas affected by the conflict are being undertaken by the Government of India." The delegation will interact witha cross section of civil society and in Colombo, willmeet the president, Mahinda Rajapakse as wellas opposition leaders, andthe Tamil National Alliance, Sri Lankan Muslim Congress, the Ceylon Workers Congress and other upcountry political parties. Wijayawardana said IAEA had asked Sri Lanka to "toexplore the possibility of entering into an agreementwith India for radiological emergency preparedness planning and management of radiological emergencies." To that end,they had approached India for a bilateral agreement -but there has been no response from India, he said. "AEA had proposed a draftagreement about two years ago to the External Affairs authorities in Colombo for discussion with Indian authorities. AEAwas not informed regarding any response from Indian side and has not lost confidence in working out a bilateral agreement with India for assistance in dealing with radiological consequences considering the importanceof the issue from a scientific and technical standpoint." Sri Lanka, Wijayawardane added, "... nuclear accidents are veryremote, taking into consideration the safety features of present day nuclear reactors that undergo a thorough, rigorous licensing procedure." Wijayawardene was clear that Sri Lanka did not oppose the Kudankulam plant. "India has every right to use nuclear technology in meeting the requirements of electrical energy. Sri Lankan Government has neither opposed nor registered their protest for any Nuclear Power Plant on Indian soil. It is their sovereign right." However, he added, they had the right to protect their own country from"from unwanted effects of ionizing radiation." To this end, they had prepared a"Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program" with the help of the IAEA. He said, Lankan energy minister Champika Ranawaka, had even visited Kudankulam, so there was no question of him opposing the plant. Wijayawardana said there were several conventions under which countries could cooperate on the matter of nuclear accidents. "There are three conventions applicable. (1) Convention of Nuclear Safety (2) Convention on Assistance in case of Nuclear Accidentor Radiological Emergency (3) Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident." "As there are power plantsin India close to our country, the only possible thing we can do is to make a bilateral agreement with India under the provisions of these conventions to exchange of information ofstatus of their power plants and emergency plans and to obtain assistance in case of a nuclear accident in India," the chairman of Sri Lanka'satomic energy authority said. -Reuters