Washington, Mar 14 (EFE) as AUCUS.

During a visit to Washington, the director general of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, said his obligation was to monitor “significant quantities of highly enriched nuclear material” being shipped to Australia, a country that had until recently been exempt from this. type of inspection for not being a nuclear power.

The Argentinian determined that to do so it was necessary to develop technology that would allow nuclear material sent to the oceanic nation to be accurately monitored, but clarified that there was a “commitment” on the part of third AUKUS members.

In this regard, Grossi explained that the IAEA team had reviewed several submarine designs and established appropriate security mechanisms, but he qualified the conversations as “highly technical and complex”.

The three allied nations announced plans on Monday under which Australia would acquire up to five nuclear-powered submarines from the United States, and then Britain and Australia would start building new models of atomic submarines.

To make it, Australia would need to receive enriched uranium from the United States and Britain, but has pledged not to develop nuclear weapons.

The acquisition will make Australia the seventh country in the world with nuclear-powered submarines, after the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and India.

Nuclear-powered submarines reach much higher speeds and can stay out of the water much longer than conventional submarines, which run on diesel fuel.

The head of the UN atomic agency explained that the most complicated part will come when the second phase of the agreement is launched, which governs the construction of submarines of this type on Australian territory, which will require the presence of IAEA inspectors.

“Ultimately, the agency must guarantee that no proliferation risks arise from this project,” said Grossi.

That same Tuesday, the IAEA issued a statement explaining that Australia had asked to begin negotiations to adapt its safeguards (control) agreement, so as to allow it to use fissile material in propulsion of submarines.

The development of the AUKUS submarine marks the first time that loopholes in the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty have been used, as they allow the transfer of fissile material and nuclear technology from a country that has nuclear weapons to a country that does not. he had it without being monitored by the IAEA.

Although they have not explicitly stated, the US, UK and Australia plan to try to counter China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific. Beijing, for its part, claims that the plan “will only fuel an arms race.”