Damascus, Sept. 18 (SANA)Syria’s participation in the 70th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency marked a key step in expanding technical cooperation and the transfer of peaceful nuclear technology to service and development sectors, Syrian Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Mudar al-Okla said Friday.

Al-Okla told SANA that Syria and the IAEA had signed the Country Programme Framework (CPF) for 2026–2031, giving new momentum to cooperation and the transfer of nuclear technology to health, agriculture, water, energy and radiation safety.

He said a roadmap signed with the agency would help translate the lifting of the non-compliance item concerning Syria into practical development projects supporting public services.

Al-Okla also highlighted Syria’s signing of the framework establishing the Asia-Pacific Research Reactor Network (AsPaRRNet), which he said would provide a regional platform for exchanging expertise and developing research reactors, including Syria’s MNSR research reactor.

Syria joined representatives of 12 countries in signing the AsPaRRNet framework in Vienna on Thursday. The network, supported by the IAEA, is intended to promote knowledge-sharing, research reactor safety, capacity-building and joint scientific research.

The CPF agreement, signed in Vienna on Sept. 16, sets priorities for six years of technical cooperation between Syria and the IAEA. It covers nuclear and radiation safety, health and nutrition, food and agriculture, energy planning, nuclear knowledge management, industrial applications, and water and the environment.FJ/ABD