Ukraine was elected to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Thursday, September 28, as reported on the organization’s website.
The Board of Governors is the executive body of the IAEA, which makes decisions that are binding on all member countries of the organization, including Russia, which occupies the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Energodar.
The Board is composed of representatives from 35 member countries and holds meetings five times a year.
Alongside Ukraine, the new members elected to the Board for the 2023-2024 period include Algeria, Armenia, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, Paraguay, and Spain.
President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on Ukraine’s election, thanking the countries that supported its candidacy.
“Ukraine remains a reliable international partner in the field of nuclear energy, and we will make every effort to strengthen the important role of the IAEA and enhance nuclear safety and security. We all need to work together—everyone in the world who values security—to put an end to all forms of nuclear blackmail, which Russia is trying to normalize,” the President’s tweet stated.