The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief says the world should learn a lesson from Japan's Fukushima crisis and calls for a high-level conference to strengthen safety measures, Press TV reported.
"The Fukushima crisis has confronted the agency and the international community with a major challenge," IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano told a news briefing at the agency's headquarters in Vienna on Monday.
He was referring to Japan's earthquake and tsunami-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that has been spewing radioactive contamination into the environment since March 11, Reuters reported.
He called for a high-level conference within three months to strengthen safety measures and emergency responses in light of the Japanese power plant crisis.
"It is vitally important that we learn the right lessons from what happened on March 11 and afterwards in order to strengthen nuclear safety throughout the world," he said.
"I would therefore like to propose that a high-level IAEA conference on nuclear safety should take place here in Vienna before the summer," possibly in June and added that ministers from 151 IAEA member states should attend.
Outlining the meeting's agenda he cited an initial assessment of the accident, its impact and consequences; lessons that need to be learned; launching the process of strengthening nuclear safety; and strengthening the response to nuclear accidents in an emergency.