Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 19 April (BelTA) – Belarus will continue following the IAEA recommendations in the construction of its nuclear power plant in Ostrovets, Belarus Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko said at the opening of the international exhibition and conference AtomExpo Belarus in Minsk on 19 April, BelTA has learned.

“We have been implementing the IAEA recommendations from the very start of the construction of the nuclear power plant, and we will continue following them. It is extremely important as these recommendations have accumulated global experience in peaceful atom,” said Vladimir Semashko.

According to the Vice Premier, today AtomExpo features the latest achievements in nuclear power technologies. Nearly 80 organizations are taking part in the exhibition. The AtomExpo events provide an opportunity to share experience and reach concrete agreements and contracts.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is a project to build an AES-2006 type nuclear power plant 18km away from Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The Belarusian nuclear power plant will have two power-generating units with the total output capacity of up to 2,400MW (2x1,200MW). In line with the general contract for building the nuclear power plant the first power-generating unit is scheduled for commissioning in 2018, with the second one to go online in 2020.

Belarus is one of the IAEA constituent states. Belarus is part to all international conventions signed under the aegis of the organization. Political contacts are maintained at a high level. The IAEA representatives pay regular visits to Belarus. In 2015 the country was elected to the IAEA Board of Governors for the third time. Among the priorities in Belarus-IAEA cooperation is the development of the national nuclear power infrastructure, healthcare protection, rehabilitation of the areas affected by the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.