MINSK, 18 May (BelTA) – Belarus will welcome a mission of the International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), BelTA learned from the website of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry (Gosatomnadzor).
A national seminar for preparing for an IAEA IPPAS mission took place at Gosatomnadzor’s premises on 16-18 May. The event was supervised by experts from the IAEA, Bulgaria, and the UK.
Participants of the seminar discussed the IAEA’s activities in the area of physical protection, the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, and the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities. Close attention was paid to preparing for and hosting an IPPAS mission taking into account the experience of the countries that have welcomed one already.
The seminar gathered 34 representatives of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Energy Ministry, the Healthcare Ministry, the Transport and Communications Ministry, the Operations and Analysis Center under the President of the Republic of Belarus, the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the State Border Committee of Belarus, the State Military Industrial Committee, the Investigative Committee, and the state enterprise Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant.