CND's Press Round-Up - 19th April 2021
Posted: 19th April 2021
Please find today’s press round up below. Thank you to all for their continued help and support.
Nuclear Weapons
Both sides report progress in the Vienna talks, whilst Iran names a suspect in the Natanz attack and the Scottish Greens make opposition to nuclear weapons the centre-piece of their campaign.
Vienna Negotiations on the JCPoA
Both sides have said progress has been made after talks between Iran and the JCPoA signatories excluding the U.S. resumed over the weekend, according to Al Jazeera. The Iranian deputy foreign minister, who is the country’s chief negotiator, said that there was now ‘a shared view of the end goal between all sides’. The European Union’s representative, Enrique Mora also made positive signals. The talks have not yet been affected by the Iranian decision to enrich uranium to 60% purity, the process for which the Iranian government says began on Friday.
Attack on Iranian Nuclear Facility
The Guardian reports that Iran has named as a suspect an individual it believes was involved at the behest of Israel for the attack on the Natanz enrichment plant. Iran said Reza Karimi had fled the country hours before the attack. In addition to this, Iranian state television is now saying that the attack was took the form of an explosion, rather than the cyber-attack previously announced. The extent of the damage at the plant is still unknown.
Scottish Devolved Elections
The Scottish Green Party, which is widely expected to make gains in the Scottish elections and which might hold the balance of power, has made nuclear disarmament front and centre of its campaign, according to the Glasgow Herald. The party’s joint leader, Patrick Harvie said that the United Kingdom was ‘run by a corrupt government that wants to invest in expanding its nuclear arsenal’. The Greens have said they want an independent Scotland to participate in the TPNW.
Anti-war
Israel-Greece Relations
Israel and Greece have signed their biggest bilateral defence procurement agreement yet, with a $1.65 billion contract to provide training to the Greek air force being awarded to the notorious Israeli company Elbit Systems. The Greek and Israeli air forces have recently conducted joint exercises. The announcement comes on the heels of a joint summit in Cyprus of the Greek, Cypriot, Israeli and Emirati foreign ministers.
Nuclear Power
The U.S. has backed controversial plans to dump contaminated Fukushima water in the ocean, whilst Russian involvment in Czech nuclear construction is ruled out and Belarus sets out radioactive waste storage plans.
Nuclear Power-Japan
Al Jazeera reports that the U.S. has signalled its backing for the Japanese decision to release more than one million tonnes of contaminated water from the Fukushima facility into the ocean. South Korea, which is opposed to the plans, has hoped to be supported by the U.S. on this. Climate Envoy John Kerry said during a visit to Seoul that ‘Japan has weighed all the options and the effects and they’ve been very transparent about the decision and the process’.
Nuclear Power-the Czech Republic
Following the expulsion of 18 Russian embassy staff from the Czech Republic on Saturday, it is now near certain that the Russian Rosatom group will not take part in the bidding process to build a new nuclear power plant in the country, according to Reuters. It was previously reported that the Czech government was considering barring Russian companies from taking part in the tendering process.
Nuclear Power-Belarus
Belarus is intending to construct a storage facility within ten years for the radioactive waste produced by its Astravets power plant, according to state media. The facility is expected to be used for the medium-term shortage, after which the spent fuel will be transported to Russia.
With best wishes,
Michael Muir
Press and Communications Officer
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament