Amman, Sept. 16 (Petra) - Jordan participated in the 70th Regular Session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna, led by Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) Chairman Khaled Toukan.

Toukan stated that Jordan is advancing a comprehensive strategy to expand its peaceful nuclear program. Key initiatives include expanding applications at the Jordan Research and Training Reactor (JRTR), commercial uranium mining, developing national expertise, and preparing to deploy small modular reactors (SMRs) for power generation and water desalination.

Plans to introduce silicon crystal doping at the JRTR will turn Jordan into a regional hub for semiconductor materials, according to Toukan. He added that the Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME) center now operates six beamlines with the addition of Germany and Italy as associate members.

In a meeting with IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, talks centered on technical cooperation to advance Jordan’s nuclear pipeline. Toukan noted that Jordan is approaching strategic decisions on deploying SMRs and commercial uranium production.

Grossi, for his part, hailed Jordan as a "model of productive collaboration," pledging continued IAEA backing for its research reactor, radioisotope production, and cancer care initiatives.

The Jordanian delegation also held side meetings with IAEA officials and global stakeholders to advance key partnerships.

Jordanian Ambassador Mohammed Hindawi joined a session on the IAEA's Rays of Hope flagship initiative, which recently equipped Al-Bashir Hospital and Jordan University Hospital with advanced PET/CT scanners, noting that the King Hussein Cancer Center remains a premier anchor center for the program.

//Petra// HA