Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union.

The European Union congratulates you on your election as Chair of the IAEA Board of Governors for the period of 2022-23. We assure you of our full support and cooperation. We also congratulate the Vice-Chairs of the Board on the assumption of their duties.

Through you, the EU would like to thank the outgoing Chair, His Excellency Mr. Ham Sangwook, Governor of the Republic of Korea, for his able leadership of the Board of Governors over the past few weeks.

Chair,

The IAEA is operating under unprecedented and most demanding circumstances caused by the Russian Federation’s war of aggression which has put the safety and security of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities at grave risk. The EU fully supports the work of the IAEA and its Director General to assist Ukraine in ensuring nuclear safety and security, and to maintain the implementation of the safeguards. We call for the implementation of the resolutions adopted by the Board in March and September on the safety, security and safeguards implications of the situation in Ukraine.

We strongly condemn the Russian Federation’s attempts to illegally annex Ukrainian regions, which have no legal validity or effect. Crimea, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk are Ukraine. These developments further aggravate the situation. We are shocked by the latest news, notably the detention of the Director General of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and demand his immediate release.

The EU reiterates that the Russian Federation’s invasion of a sovereign country is a gross violation of international law, notably the UN Charter, and it severely undermines European and global security and stability. The Russian Federation must immediately cease its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, withdraw all its armed forces and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine, including from the ZNPP, and fully respect Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

We call on all IAEA Member States to defend the UN Charter, and expect the IAEA Board of Governors to continue to take resolute action in response to the Russian Federation’s major violations of international law. We cannot emphasise strongly enough that this is unacceptable behaviour from a Member State which continues to hold a privileged role at the IAEA and its bodies. The Statute of the Agency makes clear that membership in the IAEA does not entail only rights and privileges, but also obligations and responsibilities in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. Within this context, especially Board members should lead by example, respect international law, notably the UN Charter and the IAEA Statute, and stop abusing the Vienna spirit of consensus. It is high time for the Russian Federation to comply with its obligations.

Thank you, Chair.