The discussion regarding Indonesia's plans to build a nuclear power plant emerged during the courtesy call. "Currently, Indonesia is in the preparation stage for building a nuclear power plant with the SMR (Small Modular Reactor) type. It is hoped that in 2024 the IAEA will be able to issue publications or standards related to SMR," said Sugeng.

BAPETEN hopes that if the SMR-type reactor is accepted by the public and the technology is familiar, then it is possible to build a nuclear power plant with a larger capacity in Indonesia.

The current atmosphere is that all parties support the existence of a nuclear power plant; both parliament, government (BRIN, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, and BAPETEN), and NGOs also support the construction of a nuclear power plant in Indonesia. "This is something positive and encouraging, but BAPETEN, as the regulatory body, must be very careful in making decisions, and independence must be prioritized," He said.

Responding to the issue of nuclear power plant development, the Atom Malaysia delegation reported that there was no national policy from the Malaysian government regarding the nuclear power plant development plan.

After the courtessy call meeting, Sugeng Sumbarjo opened the bilateral meeting between BAPETEN and Atom Malaysia, where this meeting will take place from October 10 to 12, 2023.

Apart from BAPETEN leaders who were present at this bilateral meeting, also present were the Director of Technical Support and Nuclear Emergency Preparedness Zulkarnain, Main Radiation Supervisor Reno Alamsyah, as well as several related staff within BAPETEN.

In his speech, Sugeng expressed his highest appreciation to Puan Noraishah for her courtesy visit. For BAPETEN, Atom Malaysia is a long-standing partner. "Today's visit by your delegation to BAPETEN is considered a concrete manifestation of our spirit of cooperation in the future," said Sugeng.

Sugeng added that, as a regulatory body, we must be ready to face the challenges posed by dynamic change. "Therefore, a strong need for knowledge transfer, mutual learning, and sharing experiences with other countries, as well as intensive collaboration, is very important as part of our commitment," He added.

"I hope that our active participation in this initiative can contribute to regional efforts in ensuring the safety, security, and protection of nuclear energy development plans in each country," continued Sugeng.

Regarding Atom Malaysia's proposal at the 10th ASEANTOM Annual Meeting, which wants to start implementing the updated MoU in 2021, Sugeng said, "Atom Malaysia is one of our important partners in this region; therefore, I really encourage this collaboration to strengthen our cooperation and partnerships through the implementation of relevant activities and programs.”

Meanwhile, Noraishah Binti Pungut, in her speech, expressed warm greetings and appreciation to BAPETEN, who hosted the visit this week.

"I am very happy and express my highest appreciation to BAPETEN for our discussions since ASEANTOM and the recent IAEA General Conference, which were aimed at mutual interests in increasing our competence as nuclear regulators in the field of nuclear and radiation safety, security, and protection efforts." She said.

According to Noraishah, the aim of Atom Malaysia's collaboration with BAPETEN through the MoU is to increase the development of human resources and capabilities in both countries in terms of technical knowledge and experience in the fields of radiation safety and nuclear security.

“During this week, we propose to further discuss the details of the MOU implementation activities for 2024–2025 and look for ways to encourage exchanges between the two countries. This will be an excellent opportunity to start a fruitful discussion regarding potential areas for proposed cooperation,” concluded Noraishah. (BHKK/Bams/V/Ra).