Foreign Minister Dipu Moni said the government has given high priority to nuclear power generation to resolve the energy crisis facing the country.

She said this during a meeting with Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano in New York on Monday, according to a message received here yesterday.

Dipu Moni was also due to make the country statement at the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference yesterday.

During the discussion with Amano, she reviewed the existing cooperation between Bangladesh and the IAEA, particularly with regard to the technical assistance projects.

She thanked the IAEA official for helping Bangladesh in capacity building to run its first-ever Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

They also discussed unanimous adoption of a resolution by Bangladesh parliament in support of the 2010 NPTReview Conference.

IAEA official Amano said he was impressed with the consensus Bangladesh enjoyed at the national level on disarmament and non-

proliferation issues.

The foreign minister mentioned that Bangladesh would like to be represented in the IAEA Governing Board in the near future to play a greater role in global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

She also urged Amano to ensure representation of Bangladesh in the senior management of IAEA.

DipuMoni extended an invitation to theAmano for visiting Bangladesh, which he accepted, and said that he might visit Bangladesh in December 2010orin January 2011.

In the evening, Dipu Moni attended a reception hosted by the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations in New York and introduced Bangladesh candidate to CEDAW (Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women) elections. Ambassador Ismat Jahan, to the New York-based delegates of UN Member States.

She spoke about the commitment to and achievement of Bangladesh in women's empowerment and sought support of CEDAW States Parties to the candidacy of Ambassador Ismat Jahan.