Belarus Calls on IAEA to Respond in Principled Way to Nuclear Security Threats

Belarus has called on the IAEA leadership to respond in a balanced and principled manner to actions that pose a threat to nuclear security. This was stated by the head of the Belarusian delegation, Permanent Representative of Belarus to the International Organizations in Vienna Andrei Dapkiunas, speaking at the 69th session of the IAEA General Conference, BELTA reports.

The Belarusian delegation expressed gratitude to Director General Rafael Grossi for his competent leadership and persistent work to ensure recognition of the important role of nuclear energy and nuclear technology in global sustainable development as a safe, sustainable, and reliable energy source.

"Belarus supports the Agency's efforts to expand access to nuclear technology in energy, healthcare, and agriculture, and to comprehensively strengthen international cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy," noted Andrei Dapkiunas. "Last year's Conference on Nuclear Science, Applications, and Technical Cooperation and the success of the Agency's flagship initiatives are striking examples of these important efforts. However, today we are forced to talk about more than just the IAEA's successes."

He noted that Belarus is seriously concerned about the new security challenges facing the international community and testing the IAEA's strength.

"Several months ago, we witnessed a sharp escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. The attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities under Agency safeguards were extremely alarming," stressed the Permanent Representative of Belarus. "These actions threaten the safety of the civilian population and the environment. They are fraught with extremely serious consequences for the entire nuclear non-proliferation system. In the absence of an appropriate international response, they pose the risk of similar scenarios being repeated in other regions of the world."

"We strongly condemn any attacks on nuclear energy infrastructure and call on the IAEA leadership to respond in a measured and principled manner to actions that pose a threat to nuclear security," stressed Andrei Dapkiunas.

"We reiterate that the Agency's authority and strength lie in the non-politicized nature of its mandate and its strict adherence to it. The IAEA must continue to play its role as the primary international mechanism for expanding access for more countries to the benefits of peaceful nuclear energy. Regarding the Agency's internal procedures, we believe it is important to improve their efficiency and effectiveness," the Belarusian diplomat continued. "The format of General Conference resolutions must be optimized: they must be concise, clear, and actionable. This will allow for the efficient use of delegations' time and enhance the practical impact of the documents adopted. In this regard, we welcome the new schedule for the Board of Governors."