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Belarus calls for greater international effort in restoring Chernobyl-hit areas

MINSK, 20 April (BelTA) - Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus, National Coordinator for Sustainable Development Goals Anatoly Isachenko took part in the international conference “Chernobyl: 35 Years Later. Equal Social and Economic Opportunities and Prospects for Sustainable Development of the Affected Areas”, BelTA learned from the press service of the upper house of Belarus' parliament.

The deputy chairman said in his welcoming speech that this tragic date has left a heavy trace in the history of modern Belarus. He also emphasized the importance of discussing the development of the territories affected by the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident.

In his opinion, 35 years later, we can observe how the affected regions are restored and the conditions for their sustainable development are created.

According to Anatoly Isachenko, since the early s Belarus has implemented five state programs aimed at overcoming the consequences of the disaster, with a total financing of some $20 billion, while the share of spending on their implementation amounts to about 3% of the country's annual budget. He added that the state program adopted in March 2021 aimed at further mitigation of the consequences of the Chernobyl accident, with total financing of more than $1 billion of budgetary funds, will largely serve the achievement of the SDGs at the national level.

Anatoly Isachenko also emphasized the special role of the state and the Belarusian president personally in the recovery of the regions affected by the Chernobyl disaster, and called on international partners to intensify cooperation in this area.

The conference was attended by representatives of government agencies and organizations from Belarus, Russia, the UN, and the diplomatic corps.

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