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IAEA: Belarus-IAEA cooperation exemplary

ST. PETERSBURG, 1 July (BelTA) - The level of cooperation and communication between Belarus and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in part of energy planning can be held up as an example, IAEA Deputy Director General Alexander Bychkov said during the presentation “Promoting a Sustainable Energy Future: the Role of the International Atomic Energy Agency” on 28 June. The presentation was held as part of the IAEA International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the 21st Century in Russia’s St. Petersburg, BelTA has learnt.

“Belarus and the IAEA have established extremely efficient collaboration and communication. We are well aware of the situation in this country. We have already given competent assistance and support to Belarus in energy planning,” the expert underlined.

Alexander Bychkov cited the following facts: currently 1.3 billion people do not have access to electricity and 1 billion do not have access to healthcare because of the so-called energy poverty. Over one-third of the world’s population use biomass to get energy. There is a certain correlation between energy and poverty level, in other words it is evident that the development of the energy sector can contribute to sustainable development of countries and better quality of life.

According to Alexander Bychkov, poverty eradication and sustainable development require environmentally friendly and accessible energy supply services. However, wider access to these services requires thorough planning. The IAEA provides assistance to countries in part of energy planning taking into account three key aspects such as the economic, the ecologic and the social one. The need to diversify energy sources receives due attention here, too.

The IAEA is the only United Nations agency which deals with creating potential in the field of common energy planning, so it impartially examines all options regarding energy saving and demand for energy when providing assistance to countries.

Alexander Bychkov also noted that the IAEA does not consider nuclear power to be the major component of energy balance.

He added that the IAEA provides assistance to countries on all stages of the development of their nuclear infrastructure from a decision-making stage to the commission of nuclear facilities.