The Director General of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, believes that nuclear energy is making a “strong comeback” all over the world, reports DPA.

These developments are seen in France, Asia, North America, the Middle East and other areas, Birol told DPA, before the IEA meeting on Tuesday in Paris.

“After the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, many countries understood the importance of nuclear energy, along with renewables, the generation of electricity at the local level,” explained the head of the IEA, according to Agerpres.

He was critical of Germany, which gave up nuclear energy last year.

“If I were the representative of a government in a country where there was technology that worked flawlessly, without any other problems, to leave nuclear energy aside and analyze options that, on the one hand, increase my dependence on other countries and also lead to increased emissions I would have thought twice,” said Birol.

The Belgian government had a similar policy before the invasion, then changed it radically, the head of the IEA emphasized. He admitted that the problem of nuclear waste is serious, but argued that it can be solved and is not a reason “to leave this technology aside.”

The International Energy Agency is the main advisory body on energy issues of the 29 most developed countries. The agency was established in response to the first oil shock of 1973-1974, to coordinate the release of oil from reserve stocks.