By Vasily Malakhov
The project aims to modernise the Belarusian state border system, battling illegal trade in nuclear and radioactive materials; as the Charge d’Affaires ad Interim of Japan in Belarus, Kiyoshi Matsuzaki, admits: ‘it’s been a success’. He believes the project will help strengthen ties between our two countries and is hopeful that similar projects may be implemented in future. Mr. Matsuzaki notes that Belarus and Japan began liaising in matters concerning nuclear non-proliferation and radiation security back in 1994.
The First Deputy Chairman of the State Border Committee of Belarus, Andrei Gorulko, stresses that Belarus’ border guard service began co-operating with the Technical Secretariat of the Committee for Co-operation in Nuclear Arms Non-Proliferation of Japan in 2009. The joint RADBEL project has allowed the State Border Committee to equip its units with radiation control tools.
Mr. Gorulko remarks that the situation across the border of Belarus and other countries indicates that such projects as RADBEL are timely. This year alone, Belarusian border guards found five attempts to smuggle hazardous radioactive cargo into the country.
