Belarus' decision to rehabilitate Chernobyl territories hailed as the right one

YELSK DISTRICT (BelTA) – Belarus did right to rehabilitate the territories affected by the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said talking to journalists on 26 April, BelTA has learned.

Alexander Lukashenko said that when he became President he had a serious decision to make in respect to the contaminated areas. “People were scared. I understood, however, that that was our land and we needed to revive it. We can see the results today. We did right to rehabilitate these lands,” the head of state said.

Alexander Lukashenko stressed that Belarus suffered worst from the devastating Chernobyl consequences. Dozens of billions of U.S. dollars have been injected in the rehabilitation of the contaminated territories over the years. The invested efforts were not futile. Yelsk District which the President visited on 26 April can be cited as a good example. “Almost all the lands in Yelsk District have been revived already. Inarable lands are used there as well today. In Dobryn (the agro-town visited by Alexander Lukashenko – BelTA's note) there are 50 kids in the kindergarten and as many toddlers who will start attending the preschool facility soon. This means there are prospects, there is life,” the head of state noted.

“We have done a lot and took the right decision. Within the ongoing five-year period, despite all problems and difficulties, we will tackle all the issues in the south part of our country and will help it forget about the tragedy,” Alexander Lukashenko stressed.

Speaking about the progress in the rehabilitation of the Chernobyl-affected territories, Alexander Lukashenko noted that this work should have been started before the Soviet Union collapsed. “The time, however, was lost. Some 10-15 years were spent in debates. But still, we have done a lot,” the President said.