World Community should make Common Cause with regulating the Issue of Nuclear Safety
Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, made the foregoing statement in the interview to the newspaper "Aargauer Zeitung" (Switzerland).
Asked about the difference in the discussion of nuclear safety in Switzerland and Ukraine, V.Lytvyn responded, "The difference is that we survived this tragedy and suffer its consequences, whereas you realize the danger of atom for peace and its influence on the people."
Conveying his impressions from the debates at the Swiss Parliament on the change of energy sources, V.Lytvyn drew attention to the responsible approach of the parliament members ‘multiplied by expectations of the Swiss people and forthcoming elections.´ "I am convinced that the policy based on public interests and moods can be considered responsible," the Head of the Ukrainian Parliament believes.
However, V.Lytvyn deems necessary to determine the energy sources, which will compensate for the refusal from nuclear energy.
Moreover, he believes that closure of nuclear power generating units does not solve the problem, as conservation of nuclear power stations and storage of nuclear waste require extra funds and measures.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine stressed that nuclear safety is not a concern of one country. "It is a global issue to be tackled by the European or even global community," he emphasized.
V.Lytvyn admitted that people are getting used to the potential global threats. However, the nuclear accident in Japan brought the issues of Chornobyl disaster and nuclear safety to the fore.
"I have to admit that before the accident in Fukushima, the European community pretended that the topic of Chornobyl is closed," the Head of the Parliament stated. "However, the Ukrainian Party has fulfilled its responsibilities in part of overcoming the consequences of Chornobyl disaster, whereas the European states failed to fully discharge their obligations."
"Fukushima nuclear accident foregrounded the topic of nuclear safety, nuclear terrorism and uncontrolled proliferation of nuclear technologies," V.Lytvyn stated. "It is necessary to refuse from the national individualism and tackle this problem as a global one."
The Head of the Parliament reminded that Ukraine had refused from its nuclear capacities, which ranked the third most powerful capacities in the world, as well as from the production of highly enriched uranium, having demonstrated to the whole world how nuclear safety shall be observed. Still, he regretted that Ukraine had received no benefits, but for political pledges.