National unity seen as answer to Chernobyl catastrophe cleanup in Belarus

MINSK, 26 April (BelTA) – The entire country has helped alleviate consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident. Deputy Head of the Belarus President Administration Igor Lutsky mentioned it at a rally dedicated to the 37th anniversary of the Chernobyl tragedy, BelTA has learned.

The rally took place in Minsk's Peoples' Friendship Park near the memorial signs To Victims of Chernobyl and The Stone of Peace of Hiroshima. “On 26 April 1986 the entire country, the entire USSR rose up in defense from the threat of radiation. 37 years later we remember the heroes, who gave their lives and sacrificed their health in order to save lives of others,” Igor Lutsky noted.

The official stressed that after the collapse of the Soviet Union Belarus took the brunt of restoring the affected lands. Nearly 25% of Belarus' territory was contaminated with radiation and it was impossible to do any work and live there after the Chernobyl catastrophe. Igor Lutsky remarked that the Belarusian state had invested colossal resources and had implemented several government programs on restoring the affected lands.

Igor Lutsky said: “We've managed to accomplish it with honor only because the entire country worked as a single mechanism, a single entity to alleviate consequences of the accident. Since then the entire country has been working on liquidating these consequences. Our forests and fields are polluted. The president constantly keeps an eye on them. Quite a lot of work has yet to be done. It's been 37 years and some radioactive elements have just completed their half-life period. Scientists should get involved in the process in order to determine what kind of plants can be grown. I'd like to emphasize once again that we can overcome this tragedy only together.”

He compared it to today's situation in Ukraine, which is now getting ammunition containing depleted uranium. “We recognize clearly what radioactive pollution is. At the same time we see what is going on in Ukraine. People don't understand what they are doing. They undermine people's health and the economy and are simply destroying the country. This is why today as we gather for this rally and mourn those, who protected Europe from the threat of radiation, we remind everyone that they shouldn't do what is being done today,” Igor Lutsky concluded.