Opinions & Interviews

GOMEL, 12 April (BelTA) – Belarus-Russia cooperation should be continued within the framework of the Union State of Belarus and Russia for the sake of minimizing the consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster. The opinion was voiced by State Secretary of the Union State of Belarus and Russia Grigory Rapota at a press conference in Gomel on 12 April, BelTA has learned.

According to the official, it is a very long term goal. So far not all the matters concerning the alleviation of the Chernobyl disaster’s consequences have been dealt with. “The scale of the aftereffects is too large and their duration is too long. This is why new joint programs are needed for the sake of dealing with them and resolving these problems. I am convinced that if scientists speak up in favor of such efforts, the governments will back them up,” said Grigory Rapota.

This year Belarus and Russia will complete the fourth Union State program on overcoming consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. The Union State budget has allocated RUB4 billion for implementing the programs since 1998. Since then methods have been worked out to reclaim farming lands and forests. Technologies have been created to make food with therapeutic qualities. A number of pharmaceutical projects have been implemented.

Union State programs primarily focus on practical measures to organize and render medical aid to people, who live in Chernobyl-affected areas. The Union State budget has helped complete the construction of and commission the national science and practice center for radiation healthcare and human ecology in Gomel. Over 17,000 children have received rehabilitation services in the best sanatoriums of the two countries. “We have accumulated priceless experience of implementing measures aimed at preventive treatment and screening of the population and early disease diagnostics. All of those have been implemented thanks to Union State programs. Everything Belarus has worked out as part of its national programs has been made available to Russia and vice versa,” stressed Grigory Rapota.

The press conference was held by State Secretary of the Union State of Belarus and Russia Grigory Rapota and Gomel Oblast Governor Vladimir Dvornik as part of the media trip arranged for representatives of Russian and Union State mass media to Gomel Oblast. The media trip was timed to the 30^th anniversary since the Chernobyl disaster, rehabilitation of Chernobyl-affected areas in Belarus and the development of small towns in the country. The media trip will end on 14 April.