It is vital to
share experience and exert efforts to develop technologies and overcome
consequences of nuclear disasters, as well as to continue cooperation on
security of nuclear power plants. Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of the Verkhovna
Rada of Ukraine, made this statement on Monday, meeting Takahiro Yokomichi,
Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Japan.
At the beginning of the meeting, V. Lytvyn expressed deep condolence to those who suffered in the result of a powerful earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster at Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. "We accepted it as our own tragedy", the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine declared, and paid tribute to courage and patience of Japanese people. The Head of the Parliament stated that Ukraine is ready to render assistance if required. Namely, V. Lytvyn offered recreation facilities in the Crimea for Japanese children from the disaster area.
He also expressed profound gratitude to the Japanese government for the assistance rendered during liquidation of consequences of Chornobyl nuclear disaster, and their readiness to support Chornobyl projects by 2015.
The Head of the Ukrainian Parliament reminded that Ukraine had spent USD 214 billion for the liquidation of nuclear disaster consequences; more than 160 thousand people were evacuated from Chornobyl zone; 600 thousand people took part in the liquidation of the disaster consequences.
In his turn, the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Japan thanked the Ukrainian Party for the assistance to the suffered from natural calamity and nuclear disaster in Japan. Mr Yokomichi believes that humanity should reconsider and learn the lesson of Chornobyl and Fukushima, exerting efforts to prevent such tragedies.