MINSK, 1 October (BelTA) – Neither Belarus nor Russia have plans to seize the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at a meeting with Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi in Minsk on 1 October, BelTA has learned.
During the meeting, Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized that Belarus would do everything in its power to ensure nuclear safety and security in the region. We are people of reason and do not rush into any reckless gambles,” the head of state said.
The president added that he had raised the topic for a reason, citing the recent statements made in Ukraine that “Lukashenko wanted to seize the Chernobyl plant”. Such claims are absolutely absurd and do not have a leg to stand on.
“I just cannot understand the idea behind such statements. Why may Lukashenko need the Chernobyl plant? We have suffered a lot after the explosion of this nuclear power plant, which, by the way, we did not build, did not maintain and did not blow up. Belarus bore the brunt of the accident; a quarter of its land was affected. We are still doing our best to mitigate the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. I would like to assure you that this is a complete nonsense, and it surprised me a lot. We cannot even imagine that we may have to ‘seize’ the Chernobyl plant and take responsibility for it. There is no such necessity on the part of Belarus. Believe me, the same is true on the part of Russia. There will never be such a need,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
Journalists learned later what Aleksandr Lukashenko and Rafael Grossi discussed behind closed doors. They focused on the situation in the region. The head of state noted that the IAEA and Rafael Grossi personally could make a huge contribution to restoring peace between Russia and Ukraine.
“We have discussed a number of important matters in a candid and trustful manner. First of all, we touched upon the delicate situation in the region, the conflict in Ukraine, the challenges and dangers it poses. I informed Mr President in detail about the work the IAEA has been doing since the beginning of the conflict to ensure the safety and security of the nuclear power plants in Ukraine,” Rafael Grossi told the media after his meeting with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko.
According to the IAEA head, it was very important for him to hear the personal position of the Belarusian president, his approaches to ensuring nuclear security and peace in the region. “He shared the approaches with me in a very clear, open manner,” Rafael Grossi said.
During the meeting, Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized that Belarus would do everything in its power to ensure nuclear safety and security in the region. We are people of reason and do not rush into any reckless gambles,” the head of state said.
The president added that he had raised the topic for a reason, citing the recent statements made in Ukraine that “Lukashenko wanted to seize the Chernobyl plant”. Such claims are absolutely absurd and do not have a leg to stand on.
“I just cannot understand the idea behind such statements. Why may Lukashenko need the Chernobyl plant? We have suffered a lot after the explosion of this nuclear power plant, which, by the way, we did not build, did not maintain and did not blow up. Belarus bore the brunt of the accident; a quarter of its land was affected. We are still doing our best to mitigate the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. I would like to assure you that this is a complete nonsense, and it surprised me a lot. We cannot even imagine that we may have to ‘seize’ the Chernobyl plant and take responsibility for it. There is no such necessity on the part of Belarus. Believe me, the same is true on the part of Russia. There will never be such a need,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
Journalists learned later what Aleksandr Lukashenko and Rafael Grossi discussed behind closed doors. They focused on the situation in the region. The head of state noted that the IAEA and Rafael Grossi personally could make a huge contribution to restoring peace between Russia and Ukraine.
“We have discussed a number of important matters in a candid and trustful manner. First of all, we touched upon the delicate situation in the region, the conflict in Ukraine, the challenges and dangers it poses. I informed Mr President in detail about the work the IAEA has been doing since the beginning of the conflict to ensure the safety and security of the nuclear power plants in Ukraine,” Rafael Grossi told the media after his meeting with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko.
According to the IAEA head, it was very important for him to hear the personal position of the Belarusian president, his approaches to ensuring nuclear security and peace in the region. “He shared the approaches with me in a very clear, open manner,” Rafael Grossi said.
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