The South African National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) on Thursday announced that it had concluded strategic nuclear safety bilateral cooperation agreements with international counterparts on the sidelines of the fifty-eighth International Atomic Energy Agency general conference, being held in Austria this week.

The NNR had entered into a new bilateral cooperation agreement with the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland and concluded the renewal of bilateral cooperation agreements with the UK Office of Nuclear Regulation and the US Regulatory Commission.

The NNR said the organisations involved reaffirmed their commitment to work with the NNR to enhance the effective regulation of nuclear safety and security in South Africa.

“Nuclear safety bilateral cooperation arrangements serve as an important mechanism for sharing information on a range of technical and scientific topics among regulatory counterparts and, as such, leads to the strengthening of the overall nuclear safety regime.

“I believe that our bilateral arrangements will assist in strengthening the NNR's regulatory capabilities for providing for the protection of persons, property and the environment against nuclear damage,” said NNR CEO Dr Bismark Tyobeka.

In addition, the NNR also convened bilateral discussions with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, the Nuclear Safety Authority of China and the Nuclear Safety Authority of Sweden.