Within the official visit to the Republic of Serbia on Tuesday, Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, attended the opening of the photo exhibition dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Chornobyl disaster.
The exhibition was opened in the Library Gallery in Belgrade.
V. Lytvyn expressed gratitude for the organized exhibitions, "as Chornobyl and Chornobyl disaster will always stay with us and, unfortunately, the global community failed to make conclusions out of this tragedy."
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada admitted that Ukraine was supported in that tragic period, while the feeling of unity with the Ukrainian nation and desire to help could not have been exaggerated.
"On this occasion I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dragan Jovanović, Serbian founder of the Committee "Children of Chornobyl" that facilitated improvement of the Ukrainian children´s health after the disaster. It was so noble", he stressed.
According to V. Lytvyn, "We should act responsibly, as it is impossible to solve global challenges separately, not in union with other countries."
V. Lytvyn reminded that according to the expert calculations, liquidation of Chornobyl disaster consequences during the first months after the tragedy required USD 100 billion. Chornobyl "inflicted a strike upon Ukrainian genetic code." He also admitted that according to the experts, complete liquidation of the disaster needs at least 100 years, while completion of a new protective envelope above the nuclear reactor unit 4 requires extra EUR 740 million.
"Therefore, Chirnobyl issues shall always receive special attention; there should be memory, but memory with actions. We should remember the lessons of this tragedy", V. Lytvyn is convinced.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine reminded of the international events in Kyiv dedicated to 25th anniversary of Chornobyl disaster on April 19-26. He hopes that funds will be allotted to finalize the building of a new object "Shelter."
According to V. Lytvyn, Chornobyl shall become a scientific center, where the researchers from all over the world would be able to work to prevent even a slight possibility of similar catastrophes.
Moreover, he deems necessary to take measures to recall exclusion zones. "Definitely, we shall always remember people who sacrificed their lives to protect the humanity", added V. Lytvyn.