42nd IAEA General Conference

Ukraine, Mr. Ivan V. Plachkov, Minister for Energy:

He stated that one of the most significant events was the holding of the first meeting on the consideration of national reports on the state of nuclear safety in accordance with the nuclear safety convention and that work is continuing on the ratification, by countries members of the Agency, of the joint convention on the safe management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel and also of the new wording of the 1963 convention on civil liability for nuclear damage and the supplementary convention on compensation for nuclear damage. He expressed his wish on a discussion on the creation of an international legal system for the safe use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. He noted in particular the efforts, which had been made to strengthen the nuclear non proliferation regime and that more than 40 countries have signed the Additional Protocol to the Safeguards Agreement. In this respect he said that the Ukraine would like to strengthen the Agency’s safeguard regime and has begun the negotiations on the preparations of the signing of an Additional Protocol. He noted that the agreement between the Ukraine and the Agency on the application of safeguards to all nuclear materials in all the nuclear activity of the Ukraine is being carried out. He expressed his hope that the Additional Protocol will be signed by the Ukraine this year. Further he emphasized the question of the creation of necessary and effective measures against the unlawful trade in nuclear materials and other radioactive sources. He expressed his hope that the State programme prepared by Ukraine on this subject to support the Agency will introduce effective measures against the unlawful trade of nuclear materials and radiation sources. He went on to say that Ukraine supports the Agency’s plan to implement practical measures to ensure the safety of sources of ionizing radiation and the safe storage of radioactive materials. He underlined that Ukraine has also developed and adopted in its Parliament the first reading of an act on regulatory activity in the use of nuclear energy, on the physical protection of nuclear materials and installations and on regulatory organs for nuclear and radiation safety. He added that the Ukraine has also introduced before Parliament a bill on Ukraine’s adherence to the Joint Protocol on the application of the Vienna Convention and the Paris Convention. He noted that a State Nuclear Regulatory Agency of Ukraine has been established in order to strengthen the role of an independent regulatory body for nuclear and radiation safety. He went on to say that with respect to the implementation of the provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding on the decommissioning of the Chernobyl station, signed in October 1995, a decision was taken for the shut down of two reactor units of the plant and removal of the spent nuclear fuel. The question of the shut down of unit 3 of the Chernobyl power plant must be resolved after the signing of a credit agreement with Euratom and the Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Referring to a number of critical projects of the so called "Chernobyl package", he said that Ukraine pays special attention to the project of the shelter built over the unit destroyed by the 1986 accident. He added that this project has been turned into an environmentally safe one under international funding. He expressed his concern that the funds by the G-7 adopted at the Summit in Denver in 1997 have so far been insufficient to carry out the planned work and urged the international community to carry on with their efforts, as the Ukraine is unable to solve this problem alone. He welcomed the decision of the G-7 Summit in Cologne to convene a second pledging conference by the summer of 2000 and called upon all Member States of the Agency to support this initiative. He also expressed concern that the that the work of the funding under the Memorandum of Agreement is still not completed. He went on to say that Ukraine continues to support the work of the Agency on creating a comprehensive regime on civil liability of nuclear damage. He also appreciated the contribution of the Agency to the work on the Y2K problem and noted that the experience of Agency experts has enabled Ukraine to carry out the first stages of a programme in Ukraine’s nuclear power stations in order to detect and remove possible negative effects connected with the Y2K problem. He also appreciated the role of the Agency in the coordination of international technical cooperation. He further explained that the Ukraine supports the budget of the Agency for the year 2000 but emphasized that the economic difficulties in Ukraine have not allowed to clear all of the contributions to the Regular Budget. He hoped that Ukraine will be able to meet the financial obligations and stated that his country plans to make a contribution to the Technical Cooperation Fund for 2000.

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Ukraine, Mr. Ivan V. Plachkov, Minister for Energy:



He stated that one of the most significant events was the holding of the first meeting on the consideration of national reports on the state of nuclear safety in accordance with the nuclear safety convention and that work is continuing on the ratification, by countries members of the Agency, of the joint convention on the safe management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel and also of the new wording of the 1963 convention on civil liability for nuclear damage and the supplementary convention on compensation for nuclear damage. He expressed his wish on a discussion on the creation of an international legal system for the safe use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. He noted in particular the efforts, which had been made to strengthen the nuclear non proliferation regime and that more than 40 countries have signed the Additional Protocol to the Safeguards Agreement. In this respect he said that the Ukraine would like to strengthen the Agency’s safeguard regime and has begun the negotiations on the preparations of the signing of an Additional Protocol. He noted that the agreement between the Ukraine and the Agency on the application of safeguards to all nuclear materials in all the nuclear activity of the Ukraine is being carried out. He expressed his hope that the Additional Protocol will be signed by the Ukraine this year. Further he emphasized the question of the creation of necessary and effective measures against the unlawful trade in nuclear materials and other radioactive sources. He expressed his hope that the State programme prepared by Ukraine on this subject to support the Agency will introduce effective measures against the unlawful trade of nuclear materials and radiation sources. He went on to say that Ukraine supports the Agency’s plan to implement practical measures to ensure the safety of sources of ionizing radiation and the safe storage of radioactive materials. He underlined that Ukraine has also developed and adopted in its Parliament the first reading of an act on regulatory activity in the use of nuclear energy, on the physical protection of nuclear materials and installations and on regulatory organs for nuclear and radiation safety. He added that the Ukraine has also introduced before Parliament a bill on Ukraine’s adherence to the Joint Protocol on the application of the Vienna Convention and the Paris Convention. He noted that a State Nuclear Regulatory Agency of Ukraine has been established in order to strengthen the role of an independent regulatory body for nuclear and radiation safety. He went on to say that with respect to the implementation of the provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding on the decommissioning of the Chernobyl station, signed in October 1995, a decision was taken for the shut down of two reactor units of the plant and removal of the spent nuclear fuel. The question of the shut down of unit 3 of the Chernobyl power plant must be resolved after the signing of a credit agreement with Euratom and the Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Referring to a number of critical projects of the so called "Chernobyl package", he said that Ukraine pays special attention to the project of the shelter built over the unit destroyed by the 1986 accident. He added that this project has been turned into an environmentally safe one under international funding. He expressed his concern that the funds by the G-7 adopted at the Summit in Denver in 1997 have so far been insufficient to carry out the planned work and urged the international community to carry on with their efforts, as the Ukraine is unable to solve this problem alone. He welcomed the decision of the G-7 Summit in Cologne to convene a second pledging conference by the summer of 2000 and called upon all Member States of the Agency to support this initiative. He also expressed concern that the that the work of the funding under the Memorandum of Agreement is still not completed. He went on to say that Ukraine continues to support the work of the Agency on creating a comprehensive regime on civil liability of nuclear damage. He also appreciated the contribution of the Agency to the work on the Y2K problem and noted that the experience of Agency experts has enabled Ukraine to carry out the first stages of a programme in Ukraine’s nuclear power stations in order to detect and remove possible negative effects connected with the Y2K problem. He also appreciated the role of the Agency in the coordination of international technical cooperation. He further explained that the Ukraine supports the budget of the Agency for the year 2000 but emphasized that the economic difficulties in Ukraine have not allowed to clear all of the contributions to the Regular Budget. He hoped that Ukraine will be able to meet the financial obligations and stated that his country plans to make a contribution to the Technical Cooperation Fund for 2000.