Board of Governors
Item 9 “Nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine”
12th September 2024
Statement by the Republic of Latvia
Delivered by Third Secretary Jorens Jakovļevs
Permanent Mission of the Republic of Latvia
Thank you, Mr Chair,
Latvia fully aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the European Union.
However, please, allow me to add some remarks in my national capacity. We thank the IAEA Director General and his team for their continuous efforts to sustain nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine.
We are deeply troubled that the latest DG’s report on Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards in Ukraine states that “nuclear safety and security at the ZNPP continues to be precarious, with all Seven Pillars compromised, either fully or partially”.
Ongoing military activity, including attacks on substations, and drone attacks within the plant’s protected area, are of extreme concern and present an immediate danger.
In particular, the presence of Russian armed troops and military equipment, as well as the continued observation of anti-personnel mines in the restricted zone of the ZNPP puts the Five Principles and the overall nuclear safety and security of the plant at unacceptable risk.
From the report we conclude that over the reporting period the Agency’s Support and Assistance Mission experts were prevented from gaining timely and appropriate access to all areas of the plant by armed troops, and were denied access of information relating to nuclear safety and security. Such actions are unacceptable and irresponsible, as they undermine nuclear safety and security in Ukraine and the wider region.
Chair, I have to reiterate, that none of the aforementioned risks, challenges and destruction of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities took place before Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine. Russia’s presence in the territory of Ukraine, including ZNPP, is illegal and denouncable.
Russia continues to disregard United Nations General Assembly, IAEA General Conference and IAEA Board of Governors’ resolutions declaring, respectively, that Russia’s attempted illegal annexation of four regions of Ukraine has no validity under International Law, and requesting Russia to urgently withdraw any unauthorized military and other personnel from Ukraine’s ZNPP, to immediately return the plant‘s full control to the competent Ukrainian authorities and to immediately cease all actions against and at nuclear facilities in Ukraine. 176 of 178 members of IAEA recognize that the application of the Russian laws and regulations in ZNPP as illegal.
Russia, its armed forces and any other authorities must immediately withdraw from ZNPP and the whole territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.
Thank you, Mr Chair!