The organizers of the 2022 Winter Olympics, which open this Friday in Beijing, have resorted to support from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to prevent possible attacks with nuclear material during this great sporting event.
“Events of the magnitude of the Olympic Games present complex security challenges for a host state,” Elena Buglova, director of the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Security, said in a statement issued today.
As the IAEA warns, an attack on events such as the Olympic Games, which attract great public interest and media attention, “could have serious consequences.”
For this reason, members of the Chinese police and intelligence have participated in recent months in training courses organized by the UN nuclear agency, which has also sent a hundred radiation detection instruments to Beijing.
“Higher and more visible levels of security and surveillance and the implementation of monitoring procedures go a long way in deterring criminal or terrorist acts,” Buglova said.
The IAEA’s support for China resumes the cooperation already initiated at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.
“After our successful collaboration with the IAEA for the 2008 Olympic Games, we have continued to work with the agency in the field of nuclear security for major public events,” said Chen Fanglei, deputy director general of China’s State Nuclear Security, quoted in body note.
The Tokyo 2020 Games, as well as those held in Rio 2016 and Athens 2004, also received technical assistance from the IAEA.
In this sense, the international organization stresses that “more and more countries are embarking on nuclear energy programs”, which has increased requests for support in recent years. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
