22 April 2011, 15:52
"The issue of Chornobyl will remain with us forever," stated Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, in the interview to Rada TV channel on Friday. "Moreover, the world can not refuse from nuclear power at once, as its safe use shall be considered."
The Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine attributes Chornobyl disaster to the loss of worldview guidelines, technocratic development, and failure to reflect on the nature of nuclear energy from the philosophical, cultural and humanistic views. "To some extent, it is a warning, lest people should lose moral guides," he supposes.
V.Lytvyn stated, "Tragic events in Japan reminded Ukraine and the world about Chornobyl." "The Earth seems to be really small, everything is interrelated, the problems should be settled with common efforts," stressed the Head of the Parliament.
V.Lytvyn believes that nuclear meltdown in Japan foregrounded the issue of Chornobyl. This fact can account for EUR 550 million raised at the Donor Conference on April 19, 2011 to support Chornobyl projects. He reminded that nearly EUR 740 million is required to complete the construction of a protective envelope, nuclear waste storage, and other facilities.
The Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine calls for taking action to redevelop the territories that suffered in the result of Chornobyl disaster. It is essential to preserve Chornobyl Polissia, which is a unique site with unique historical and material monuments. V.Lytvyn believes that Chornobyl should become a research center, where the international scholars could work towards prevention of nuclear disasters.
V.Lytvyn is concerned with the claims of some politicians that allocation of donor funds is a part of encouragement of Ukraine towards accession to the European Union. He stressed that the EBRD is the administrator of these funds. "I would say that allocation of funds is an overdue fulfillment of commitments by the European community," he admitted.
"Speaking of encouragement, the European Union should lift the restrictions on the talks concerning a free trade zone, cancel quotas and remove limitations for Ukrainian agricultural production, facilitate conclusion of the association and visa-free regime agreement," stated V.Lytvyn.