Ukraine elected to IAEA's governing body

Ukraine was elected to the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), according to the organization's message posted on its website on Thursday.

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 occupied the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Enerhodar in southern Ukraine.

The Board consists of representatives of 35 member countries and holds meetings five times a year.

Along with Ukraine, Algeria, Armenia, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, Paraguay, and Spain became new members of the body for the period of 2023-2024.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the election of Ukraine, thanking those countries that supported its application.

"Ukraine remains a reliable partner in the nuclear energy sector and we will make every effort to reinforce the IAEA's important role and to strengthen global nuclear safety and security," the head of state said on Twitter.

"We must all work together, all of us in the world who value security, to put an end to all types of nuclear blackmail that Russia attempts to normalize."

Ukraine has been elected to the IAEA Board of Governors for 2023–2025, according to President Zelenskyy.

In September 2022, the IAEA stationed observers at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya NPP, and in early 2023 at the rest of Ukraine's nuclear plants.

In November, the IAEA called on Russia to withdraw from the Zaporizhzhya NPP and to "end all actions at Ukrainian nuclear facilities".