The International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation (IFNEC) held its second annual Executive Committee Ministerial Meeting in Warsaw, Poland on September 29, 2011. On behalf of the Government of Poland as the Host, the Government Commissioner for Nuclear Power and Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Economy, Hanna Trojanowska, chaired the meeting, and Polish Deputy Prime Minister Waldemar Pawlak provided opening remarks. During this meeting, IFNEC officially expanded to 61 Participant and Observer countries based on the United Arab Emirates joining as a full Participant member country and the Philippines and Qatar joining as Observers. In addition, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) participated in the Warsaw meeting as permanent IFNEC Observer organizations.

During the meeting, special guest speaker Bill Gates provided keynote remarks via video on challenges and opportunities associated with nuclear energy, including the key role of the private sector in partnership with governments.  Mr. Gates' remarks may be viewed below (please click "Allow Blocked Content" from the toolbar if prompted with a security warning).  Mr. Jim Asselstine, Managing Director of Barclays Capital, discussed issues relating to the financing of nuclear power projects, including key elements of project finance structure, challenges and/or risks of new nuclear power plant investment, possible tools for mitigating financing risk, and the role that IFNEC could play in this area. The Executive Committee received status reports from the Chair of the IFNEC Steering Group, Ed McGinnis, the Co-chairs of the Infrastructure Development Working Group Dr. Al Burkart and Mr. John Mathieson, and the Co-Chairs of the Reliable Nuclear Fuel Services Working Group, Mr. Yves Koluzny and Mr. Kazuhiro Suzuki. The working groups reported that significant progress had been made in the past year, a joint working group meeting was held to explore cooperation in infrastructure relating to nuclear fuel services, and that engagement with industry, universities and other external entities is progressing well. It was also reported by the co-chairs that the next Reliable Nuclear Fuel Services Working Group meeting would be hosted by Bulgaria in the city of Kozloduy November 8 – 9, 2011, and that the Infrastructure Development Working Group would hold its next meeting in Vienna, Austria, October 31 – November 1, 2011.

At the conclusion of the meeting, a Joint Statement was issued by the Executive Committee that described progress made in the last year by the expert-based working groups, issues discussed during the Executive Committee, such as nuclear safety, financing, Comprehensive Fuel Services, and infrastructure development, and actions to be taken over the next year including holding an expert-based meeting on financing amongst various stakeholders. At the conclusion of the meeting, it was also announced that Morocco would host and chair the 2012 Executive Committee Meeting.