IAEA, Belgium to hold nuclear energy summit in 2024

VIENNA, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Tuesday that it would join hands with Belgium to hold a nuclear energy summit in Brussels from March 21 to 22 next year to highlight the role of nuclear energy in achieving net-zero emissions.

The Vienna-headquartered IAEA said in a statement that about 30 countries are expected to attend the summit, which the agency called "the highest-level meeting to date exclusively focused on the topic of nuclear energy."

Industry leaders, heads of think tanks, experts, and representatives from civil society will also participate in the meeting, which will underscore the importance of nuclear energy in "addressing the global challenges to reduce the use of fossil fuels, enhance energy security and boost economic development," according to the statement.

"More and more countries are either planning to introduce nuclear power in their energy mix or expand already existing nuclear energy programs," IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said in the statement. "The Nuclear Energy Summit will highlight this renewed momentum for nuclear power and also provide a high-level forum to showcase solutions for some of the issues the sector is facing in order to realize its full potential."