Dapkiunas: Belarus remains fully committed to the highest standards of nuclear safety

MINSK, 28 September (BelTA) - Andrei Dapkiunas, Head of the Belarusian delegation to the 67th Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference, Permanent Representative of Belarus to International Organizations in Vienna, spoke at the general discussion of the conference in Vienna on 27 September, BelTA learned from the Belarusian Permanent Mission in Vienna.

As the main achievement of recent years, Andrei Dapkiunas named the universal awareness of the importance of the contribution of nuclear energy and non-energy applications of nuclear technologies to global sustainable development. He noted Belarus' support for the efforts to position nuclear energy as a safe, sustainable and reliable source of energy.

The head of the Belarusian delegation spoke about the current status of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant, emphasizing that from the very beginning of the national nuclear power program Belarus has remained committed to the highest standards of nuclear and radiation safety. Belarus is fully open to a constructive professional and expert dialogue with all stakeholders.

According to Andrei Dapkiunas, in accordance with the existing practice, the reports on IAEA assessment and advisory missions in Belarus are publicly available, including the agency's information resources. Their conclusions and proposals are an important guideline for improving the national nuclear safety regime, enhancing the reliability of nuclear installations and ensuring the safety of nuclear material.

Having fully utilized the IAEA's expert potential and support tools to take into account the accumulated world experience in the use of nuclear energy, Belarus readily shares its own experience in the development of nuclear energy infrastructure.

The head of the Belarusian delegation emphasized the growing demand for the IAEA technical cooperation program. The IAEA's technical cooperation projects in Belarus make it possible to improve the efficiency of personnel training for the new nuclear power industry and contribute to ensuring nuclear and radiation safety. These projects also make a notable contribution to the development of nuclear medicine and help address a unique challenge of sustainable development of the territories affected by the Chernobyl accident.

The permanent representative of Belarus in Vienna also spoke in favor of further strengthening the leading role of the IAEA in expanding the peaceful uses of atomic energy and expressed interest in IAEA-Belarus productive cooperation.