Dapkiunas: Belarus keen to develop efficient interaction with IAEA
The head of the Belarusian delegation at the 67th regular session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference, Permanent Representative of Belarus to international organisations in Vienna, Andrei Dapkiunas, spoke during the general discussion of the conference – as reported by the Belarusian Foreign Ministry’s press service
As the main achievement of recent years and the agency in particular, Andrei Dapkiunas noted the universal awareness of the importance of the contribution of nuclear energy and non-energy applications of nuclear technologies to ensuring sustainable development in the world, pointing to Belarus’ support for efforts to position nuclear energy as a safe, sustainable and reliable source of energy.
“The head of the Belarusian delegation informed about the current status of the construction of the Belarusian NPP, underlining that from the very beginning of the implementation of the national nuclear energy programme, Belarus has been and remains committed to the highest standards of nuclear and radiation safety. Belarus is completely open to constructive professional expert dialogue with all interested parties. Andrei Dapkiunas also noted that, in accordance with existing practice, reports on IAEA assessment and advisory missions in Belarus are posted in the public domain, including on the agency’s information resources. The conclusions and proposals drawn from them are an important guideline in improving the national nuclear safety regime, increasing the reliability of nuclear installations, and ensuring the safety of nuclear material,” the Foreign Ministry of Belarus reported.
Having fully utilised the agency’s expert potential and support tools to take into account the accumulated global experience in the field of nuclear energy use, Belarus is willing to share its own experience in the development of nuclear energy infrastructure. The head of the Belarusian delegation noted the growing demand for the IAEA technical co-operation programme. The agency’s technical co-operation projects in Belarus improve training for the new nuclear power industry and help ensure nuclear and radiation safety. These projects also make a significant contribution to the development of nuclear medicine and to solving the unique challenge of sustainable development of the territories affected by the Chernobyl accident. The Permanent Representative of Belarus in Vienna spoke in favour of further strengthening the leading role of the IAEA in expanding the peaceful use of nuclear energy and expressed interest in developing efficient interaction between the IAEA and Belarus.
