Belarus' experience of international cooperation in nuclear safety presented at IAEA conference

MINSK, 11 November (BelTA) – Belarus' experience of international cooperation in ensuring nuclear and radiation safety was presented at the International Conference on a Decade of Progress After Fukushima-Daiichi: Building on the Lessons Learned to Further Strengthen Nuclear Safety in the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria, representatives of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry (Gosatomnadzor) told BelTA.

Gosatomnadzor Head Olga Lugovskaya took part in the event. During a panel discussion on international cooperation she delivered a report on Belarus' experience of international cooperation in ensuring nuclear and radiation safety taking into account the country's unique way. Belarus went all the way from overcoming consequences of the largest radiation accident to deciding in favor of developing the country's first nuclear energy program and the consequent formation of the nuclear and radiation safety infrastructure through reliance on international standards, Gosatomnadzor said.

At present Belarus is a member of the nuclear energy countries club. The regulatory infrastructure in Belarus was created with international assistance. Assistance is provided by Russia (the country that supplies nuclear technologies), the International Atomic Energy Agency, the European Union, and the relevant associations of regulatory bodies – RCF, WENRA, ENSREG, and the WWER Forum. Gosatomnadzor and foreign regulatory agencies have signed about 20 bilateral agreements, including with all the neighboring countries.

Intensive international cooperation is an important component of success in building regulatory infrastructure of nuclear and radiation safety and the only way for nuclear energy newcomer countries. It is how the modern world's global safety regime works. With its experience of overcoming consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident and creating nuclear industry regulatory infrastructure, Belarus is ready to share the experience with everyone, who needs it, Gosatomnadzor said.

The International Conference on a Decade of Progress After Fukushima-Daiichi: Building on the Lessons Learned to Further Strengthen Nuclear Safety has been organized in order to analyze the lessons that have been learned, share experience, the best practices, and accomplishments resulting from the actions taken by national, regional, and international communities after the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. Participants of the conference are also supposed to work out ways to improve nuclear safety. The event will end on 12 November.