Statement at the 69th session of the IAEA General Conference

On September 17, 2025, the Permanent Representative of Belarus to the International Organizations in Vienna Andrei Dapkiunas, Head of the Belarusian delegation at the 68th session of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), delivered the national statement during the general debate of the General Conference.

In his speech, A. Dapkiunas drew attention to the IAEA's important role as a key international mechanism for expanding countries' access to peaceful uses of nuclear energy. He emphasised that the Agency's authority and strength lie in the depoliticised nature of its mandate and its strict adherence to it.

The Head of the Belarusian delegation drew attention to the new security challenges facing the international community and testing the resilience of the IAEA. In particular, he expressed Belarus’ deep concern regarding the attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities under the Agency’s safeguards, stressing that such actions, in the absence of an adequate international response, create a dangerous precedent that could be replicated in other regions of the world. The Belarusian diplomat condemned any attacks on nuclear energy infrastructure and called on the IAEA leadership to respond in a balanced and principled manner to actions that create a threat to nuclear safety.

A. Dapkiunas also addressed the Agency’s internal procedures, stressing the importance of enhancing their efficiency and effectiveness. He proposed optimising the format of General Conference resolutions so that they become more concise, clear, and practical.

A. Dapkiunas further reported on progress in the implementation of Belarus’ national nuclear energy program, highlighting the country’s priority attention to nuclear and radiation safety issues. He noted the visit of the IAEA Director General and other senior Agency officials to the Belarusian NPP, as well as the substantive discussions held during this visit on the full range of cooperation issues.

The Belarusian diplomat informed about the signing of the practical arrangements between the Agency and the Polesie State Radiation and Ecological Reserve, calling it symbolic on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster.

The full text of the statement (in Russian) is available here.

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