Board of Governors International Atomic Energy Agency - EU Statement on Agenda item 5(e): Implementation of the NPT safeguards agreement in the Syrian Arab Republic

Board of Governors International Atomic Energy Agency - EU Statement on Agenda item 5(e): Implementation of the NPT safeguards agreement in the Syrian Arab Republic

EU Statement on
Agenda item 5(e): Implementation of the NPT safeguards agreement in the Syrian Arab Republic

Board of Governors - International Atomic Energy Agency

Vienna, 8-12 June 2026

Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine align themselves with this statement.

The EU thanks the Director General for the update provided on Syria in his opening statement and the Secretariat for its tireless efforts to address the implementation of the NPT safeguards agreement in Syria.

We fully support the Director General's engagement with Syria and the ongoing process to clarify outstanding safeguards issues. The EU welcomes efforts to facilitate Agency inspections at the Deir Ezzor site, including environmental sampling. We hope that this can soon be possible, especially after the 29 January Agreement between the Syrian transitional authorities and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Verification activities enable the IAEA to achieve clarity regarding the Assad regime's nuclear programme. Clarification of unresolved safeguards implementation issues is a legally binding international obligation for any State having concluded a safeguards agreement, and remains of crucial importance for the preservation of the integrity of the international non-proliferation regime.

The EU calls on the Syrian authorities to continue and reinforce their cooperation with the IAEA to address all outstanding issues without further delay. In this regard, we welcome the immediate and unrestricted access to relevant sites granted by President Al-Sharaa.

We also strongly encourage Syria to conclude and bring into force without delay an Additional Protocol to rebuild confidence in the peaceful nature of its nuclear activities.

The EU remains committed in strongly supporting Syria's peaceful and inclusive transition, as well as its socio-economic recovery. As an important step in this regard, the EU has fully reinstated its cooperation agreement with Syria.

We request the Director General to keep the Board of Governors timely informed of any developments and to maintain this item on the Board agenda.

Thank you, Chair.