IAEA carrying out scheduled inspections at BelNPP, NASB Sosny Institute
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is conducting scheduled inspections at the Belarusian nuclear power plant (BelNPP) and the United Energy and Nuclear Research Institute Sosny of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB), BelTA learned from the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry (Gosatomnadzor).
Belarus is a party to the Agreement for the Application of Safeguards in Connection with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons concluded with the IAEA on 14 April 1995. In fulfillment of international obligations under the safeguards agreement, the next IAEA inspections are scheduled for 20 November at the BelNPP and for 21 November at the NASB United Energy and Nuclear Research Institute Sosny. The agency is set to conduct a physical inventory of nuclear material and check the maintenance of accounting documentation.
The competent authority for the state safeguards system in Belarus is the Emergencies Ministry, represented by Gosatomnadzor, which is also responsible for ensuring the support of IAEA inspections. This status of Gosatomnadzor is determined by the regulation on the procedure for the functioning of the state safeguards system, which was approved by Government Decision No.668 of 9 October 2023.
IAEA safeguards are an integral part of the international safety system and represent a set of technical measures that are applied to nuclear facilities and nuclear material used by states.
The International Atomic Energy Agency seeks to independently verify compliance with a state's legal obligation that nuclear facilities are not misused and nuclear material is not diverted from peaceful uses to the production of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. States agree to the application of these measures through the conclusion of safeguards agreements.
