Syria, UN nuclear watchdog sign cooperation agreement on food security, cancer treatment

By Liath Al-Jnaidi and Mohammad Sio

DAMASCUS / ISTANBUL (AA) – Syria and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday to cooperate on food security and cancer treatment.

The agreement was signed by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi during his visit to Damascus, which also included a meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a readout.

The memorandum outlines cooperation under the IAEA’s Atoms for Food and Rays of Hope initiatives, both aimed at improving food safety and expanding access to cancer care, according to the state news agency SANA.

Neither the Syrian government nor the IAEA disclosed details of Grossi’s meeting with Sharaa. However, the visit comes as part of the transitional government’s broader efforts to reengage with the international community and restore Syria’s diplomatic presence, which had diminished under the former regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia late last year, ending the Baath Party’s regime, which had been in power since 1963.

Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in January.