
An archive photo
MINSK, 24 June (BelTA) - Agencies affiliated with Belarus’ Emergencies Ministry are taking part in an IAEA nuclear emergency exercise simulating a severe accident at a nuclear power plant, BelTA learned from the Department for Nuclear and Radiation Safety of the Emergencies Ministry of Belarus (Gosatomnadzor).
The exercise will last until 25 June. Participating in it are the Main Directorate of the State System for Emergency Prevention and Response and Civil Defense, the Main Directorate for Emergency Rescue Services and Response, the Department for Nuclear and Radiation Safety, the National Emergency Management and Response Center, and crisis management centers of the Healthcare Ministry and the Natural Resources Ministry.
The exercise is being conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in cooperation with Romania.
The goal is to assess the effectiveness of the IAEA’s emergency response system, including communication with the country where the accident occurs.
Such exercises are held every three to five years to test existing emergency response mechanisms in line with the obligations of the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident and the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency.
Following the exercise, an evaluation will be made of the coordination between national and international response measures, identifying both best practices and areas for improvement.