Gomel Chernobyl conference opens with moment of silence

GOMEL, 12 April (BelTA) – An international conference, Chernobyl 25 Years On. Mitigation of the Impact in the Union State, opened today in Gomel with an observance of a moment of silence, BelTA has learnt. The conference attendees paid tribute to the memory of the killed in a metro blast in Minsk on 11 April. Deputy Emergencies Minister of Belarus Alexander Goncharov greeted the participants of the conference and noted that the Chernobyl tragedy in 1986 became Belarus’ history. “The catastrophe affected the country and, mainly, the Gomel Oblast. During the first months after the explosion 108 villages of the Bragin, Narovlya and Khoiniki regions of Gomel Oblast were evacuated,” the official said. According to Alexander Goncharov, the measures taken to mitigate the consequences of the disaster have improved the demographic situation in Gomel Oblast. The international conference, Chernobyl 25 Years On. Mitigation of the Impact in the Union State, takes place in Gomel on 12-13 April and will continue its work in Bryansk on 14-15 April. The meeting will focus on the most important aspects of radiation protection of the population, rehabilitation and socio-economic development of the contaminated territories, results of the joint activity of Belarus and Russia in mitigating the impact of the Chernobyl accident. The participants of the conference are also ready to work out a strategy and define priority areas of cooperation between Belarus and Russia in mitigating the Chernobyl impact in the Union State. Sessions included into the program of the conference highlight the problems of radiation protection, agricultural radiology, radioecology and rehabilitation of the polluted areas.

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