Signing of the Country Programme Framework between Belarus and IAEA

On September 27, 2022, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Yuri Ambrazevich and IAEA Deputy Director General Hua Liu signed the Country Programme Framework between Belarus and the IAEA for 2022 – 2027.

The Deputy Minister thanked the IAEA for its support in strengthening the nuclear and radiation safety regime, including in the context of the commissioning of the Belarusian NPP.

The interlocutors discussed the current level and prospects for further development of technical cooperation, expert support for nuclear power and non-power applications of nuclear technologies in Belarus.

The Deputy Minister paid special attention to the importance of the IAEA's assistance in the development of the Belarusian school of international nuclear law and the use of national radiation medicine capabilities in the implementation of global initiative of the IAEA Director General “Rays of Hope”.

The Programme Framework is the basis for technical cooperation between a country and the agency. It reflects the need for attracting technical assistance from the IAEA, in the medium term identify the areas where nuclear science and technology can make an effective contribution to achieving national sustainable development priorities.

The first technical cooperation programme for Belarus was signed in 2003, followed by the update in 2007.

The new technical cooperation programme framework for 2022 – 2027 is developed based on the achievements and experience gained during the technical cooperation of past years, takes into account the new status of Belarus as a country that has started commercial operation of its first nuclear power plant and aims to further contribute to the implementation of national priorities of socio-economic development.

In particular, the following thematic areas of cooperation with the IAEA are defined:
♦ continued capacity building and improvement of the nuclear and regulatory infrastructure to ensure the safe, secure and sustainable operation of the Belarusian NPP;
♦ return of radioactively contaminated territories to normal socio-economic and environmental conditions;
♦ improvement and expansion of the application of advanced nuclear techniques in human health;
♦ advancement of nuclear science, technology and research, including agricultural, environmental and industrial applications of isotope and radiation technologies, as well as nuclear knowledge management.

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