The experience of the Republic of Belarus in international cooperation on nuclear and radiation safety is presented at an international conference at the IAEA

At the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency (Vienna, Austria), the  International Conference on A Decade of Progress After Fukushima-Daiichi: Building on the Lessons Learned to Further Strengthen Nuclear Safety continues its work. Head of Gosatomnadzor Olga Lugovskaya is taking part in the event.

Within the framework of the panel discussion «International cooperation» Olga Lugovskaya made a presentation on the experience of the Republic of Belarus in terms of international cooperation in ensuring nuclear and radiation safety, taking into account the unique path of our country from overcoming the consequences of a large-scale radiation accident to making a decision on the development of its first nuclear power program and the subsequent establishment of the nuclear and radiation safety infrastructure based on international standards.

By its own example, Belarus became convinced that the sphere of nuclear and radiation safety is very international. When nuclear accidents occur, there is a risk of their transboundary consequences. Our country faced them after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and has been making significant efforts for over 35 years to overcome the consequences of this accident and to revive the affected territories.

 

Today the Republic of Belarus is a member of the «club» of the countries with nuclear power. The whole way of creating the regulatory infrastructure in our country has been done with international support. We receive it from the Russian Federation, a supplier of nuclear technologies, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the European Union, professional associations of regulatory bodies - RCF, WENRA, ENSREG, and the WWER Forum. There are about 20 bilateral agreements between the Belarusian regulatory body and foreign counterparts, including all neighboring countries.

 

Intensive international cooperation is an essential component of success in building a regulatory infrastructure for nuclear and radiation safety and the only way for newcomer countries to get involved in nuclear power. This is how the global safety regime established in today's world works. Having the experience of overcoming the consequences of the Chernobyl accident and creating the regulatory infrastructure for the nuclear sphere, Belarus is ready to share it with anyone who needs it.