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27 October 2015, 14:50

Belarus to set up international center to study long-run consequences of radiological accidents

GOMEL, 27 October (BelTA) – An international center to study long-run consequences of radiological accidents will be set up in Belarus at the Polesie State Radiation and Ecological Reserve, Belarus' Deputy Emergencies Ministry Gennady Lasuta said at the roundtable on sustainable social and economic development of the Chernobyl-hit regions held in Gomel on 27 October as part of the UN70 Express campaign, BelTA informs.

The UN activity in developing a strategy of international cooperation for 2016-2026 is deeply symbolic as it completes the decade of rehabilitation and sustainable development of the Chernobyl-hit areas. Moreover, very soon the humankind will mark the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl accident. Over the period the situation on the Chernobyl-hit territories has dramatically changed: from mass resettlement of people from the most dangerous zones and large-scale protective measures to rehabilitation of the contaminated areas. “For the development of the international Chernobyl cooperation strategy for 2016-2026, Belarus introduced a number of proposals at the Vienna forum in Austria on 9 October. The Belarusian proposals were supported by representatives of international organizations that take part in the development of international Chernobyl cooperation strategies. They expressed their intention to continue cooperation in this matter,” said Gennady Lasuta.

According to the deputy minister, Belarus suggested holding the fourth decade after the accident (2016-2026) under the sign of investment in the Chernobyl regions. For these purposes Belarus is ready to organize and host an international investment forum. Apart from that, among the suggestions was the creation of an international scientific center at the Polesie State Radiation and Ecological Reserve to study long-run consequences of radiological accidents. With the UN assistance it is planned to develop regional security centers in order to create a basis for a comprehensive study of life safety on the contaminated territories, including all aspects of information activity and the use of new technologies. Efforts will be also continued to strengthen the mechanism of coordinating and intensifying international cooperation on Chernobyl. “We hope that the Russian and Ukrainian parties will join our initiatives, and they will be successfully implemented within the next ten years in cooperation with the international community and with active participation of local population,” Gennady Lasuta added.

According to Gennady Lasuta, today's roundtable on Chernobyl is an important even ahead of the forthcoming international conference Chernobyl: 30 Years On scheduled to take place in Minsk in April 2016. The conference will discuss further approaches in the organization of international cooperation for the forthcoming decade.

The roundtable was attended by representatives of the United Nations, the Emergencies Ministry of Belarus, the Healthcare Ministry, the Economy Ministry, the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, and local authorities. The event featured reports on several topics, including the modern stage in mitigating the consequences of the Chernobyl accident, the efficient implementation of international projects in the contaminated areas, the involvement of the local population in the process of their rehabilitation and sustainable development.

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