Joint statement of the Baltic States on the situation in Ukraine at the IAEA Board meeting, delivered by Ambassador Raimonds Oškalns

Joint Statement of the Baltic States  - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, delivered by H.E.Raimonds Oškalns, Ambassador of Latvia

Thank You, Madam Chair,

I have the honour to address this Board on behalf of the Baltic States – Estonia, Lithuania and my own country - Latvia. We fully align ourselves with the statement delivered by Poland on behalf of the European Union member states and the Joint Statement delivered by Canada, and would like to add the following remarks.

Madam Chair,

We reiterate our strongest condemnation of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, its seizure and militarization of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and strikes against Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure, including the drone attack against Chornobyl’s New Safe Confinement.

Russia’s reckless actions pose an urgent and ongoing threat to nuclear safety with potential regional and global consequences.

We commend the Director General and the Agency staff for their tireless work in assisting Ukraine. Continued presence of IAEA experts at Ukrainian nuclear facilities and monitoring of electrical substations, as requested by Ukraine, are indispensable for nuclear safety. We appreciate the DG’s recent visit to Kyiv and his engagement with Ukrainian authorities to strengthen Ukraine’s nuclear energy infrastructure.

Madam Chair,

According to the recent report by the DG, six out of seven indispensable pillars continue to be compromised and the situation at the ZNPP remains precarious. Following the damage of Ukrainian Ferosplavna power line caused by Russian strikes on May 7, the plant continues to rely on a single power line, heightening the risk of a complete loss of off-site power.

We share concerns related to reports that Russia is constructing a high-voltage power line on the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions, with the aim to connecting and integrating the plant into Russia's power grid. We stress that any such actions are unacceptable and are a gross violation of international law and Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Also,

there can never be any attempt for the unilateral restart of the ZNPP under Russian control. Such attempts could potentially lead to a nuclear disaster.

All ZNPP reactors must remain in cold shutdown until the plant is handed over to Ukrainian authorities and a thorough safety review is conducted by the IAEA.

Madam Chair,

We are concerned that the IAEA staff at the ZNPP are restricted from accessing the western parts of the turbine halls and that Russian armed troops and military equipment remain present at the site. The continued obstruction prevents experts from fully performing independent assessments of ensuring compliance with nuclear safety standards. We call on Russia to grant unrestricted access for the IAEA experts to ensure that the Five Principles are being observed at all times at the ZNPP.

Furthermore, we are alarmed by reports of an acute shortage of experienced and licensed technical personnel and the organisational restructuring taking place at the ZNPP. Additional concerns, as reported by the DG, arise from the lack of maintenance and equipment, leading to the technical degradation of the ZNPP.

We note that the most recent rotation of the IAEA staff at the ZNPP has been conducted via a different route for the second time in a row, due to security concerns caused by Russian military activity. We stress the importance of the Agency’s continued presence at the ZNPP. We urge Russia to stop obstructing the Agency staff and allow their safe passage through the regular route in full respect of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Madam Chair,

The Baltic States reiterate their unconditional and unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine. We deplore the high toll on civilians caused by Russia’s war of aggression and express our full support to the international call for an unconditional ceasefire, as a first step towards achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace.

We call on Russia to immediately and unconditionally withdraw its military and all other personnel from the ZNPP and from the entire territory of Ukraine in accordance with the UN Charter, Resolutions of this Board, the IAEA General Conference and the UN General Assembly.

We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.

Thank You, Madam Chair.