site.btaUPDATED PM Glavchev Calls for Safeguarding Nuclear Safety and Security of Ukraine, Europe, World

Addressing Sunday's session on nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine at the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, Bulgarian Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev said the future of nuclear energy depends on shared responsibility and determination, the government information service reported. "We must not allow nuclear technology to be used for blackmail and aggression. We must do everything possible to safeguard the nuclear safety and security of Ukraine, Europe and the world," he said.

Glavchev is attending the Swiss-hosted first Ukraine peace summit.

The caretaker Prime Minister expressed Bulgaria's support for the nuclear safety goals set out in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Peace Formula and welcomed the very valuable efforts made by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Glavchev recalled that the nuclear safety and security situation in Ukraine is serious and Russia is solely responsible for it. "The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, which has been occupied by Russia for over two years, is central to our concerns as IAEA's seven indispensable pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security and five principles to avoid a nuclear accident have been violated," Glavchev said.

In his words, turning Europe's largest nuclear power plant into a military base is a manifestation of gross irresponsibility. The Bulgarian Prime Minister noted that Russia's actions were not only putting the global community at risk, but were seriously undermining confidence in the future development of nuclear energy. "We cannot accept either of these two things," he said.

Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev welcomed the key priorities for ensuring coordination of the international efforts outlined in the discussion paper. The immediate priorities are: urgent withdrawal of all unauthorized personnel from the Zaporizhzhya NPP; unrestricted access to the installations for competent IAEA and Ukrainian representatives; and providing adequate qualified staff with relevant experience to the plant as the current staffing is three times lower than normal. Glavchev also highlighted the special role of the countries which are developing or considering developing their own nuclear programmes with the support of Russia's Rosatom. "We urge them to use their levers of influence to ensure compliance with the established international nuclear safety and security standards, which is ultimately in the interest of all," he said.

Furthermore, Glavchev highlighted Bulgaria's significant progress in diversifying its nuclear fuel supplies by eliminating reliance on the former sole Russian supplier, and in developing promising cooperation with global industry leaders such as Westinghouse and Framatome.