Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 3 November (BelTA) – Belarus expects the forthcoming missions of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to produce positive results, BelTA learned from Belarusian Deputy Energy Minister Mikhail Mikhadyuk on 3 November.

The official said: “We openly cooperate with the IAEA. Educational seminars are arranged. Specialized missions are sent to help us advance along all the 19 directions in the course of implementing the nuclear energy program. We will soon welcome an IAEA mission, which will evaluate the country’s readiness for operating a nuclear power plant. We work while observing all the IAEA requirements and expect the forthcoming missions to produce positive results.”

Representatives of the Belarusian Energy Ministry took part in the IAEA ministerial conference on nuclear energy in the 21^st century, which took place in Abu Dhabi on 30 October – 1 November. Mikhail Mikhadyuk said that IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano spoke in glowing terms about the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant in Belarus, including the establishment of the relevant infrastructure. The IAEA director general confirmed the agency’s readiness to provide continued support to Belarus in these matters. Yukiya Amano also noted that Belarus is one of the most advanced countries among nuclear energy novices and is implementing its nuclear energy project taking into account all the nuclear safety requirements.

Belarus has already welcomed the IAEA’s evaluation missions. One of them evaluated the country’s regulatory infrastructure in October 2016. Another one evaluated the construction site and the nuclear power plant design taking into account external impacts in January 2017. This cooperation will continue when Belarus welcomes an IAEA emergency readiness and response mission. Prior to commissioning the first power-generating unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant the country will welcome a mission, which will evaluate the nuclear power plant’s operational safety. Another mission will provide an integrated evaluation of the nuclear energy infrastructure.