The Government of Ukraine and the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development have signed Grant agreement on
EBRD contribution into the program of Chornobyl nuclear power plant.
The Agreement provides for allocation of Eur 135
million to facilitate fastest building of a sarcophagus over the Chornobyl
nuclear power station. The Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko announced
during a joint press conference with EBRD President Thomas Mirow.
“Signing of such Grant agreement and
support in overcoming fallouts of the Chornobyl catastrophe is, undoubtedly, a
very significant step in the development of our relations,” Tymoshenko stressed.
Yulia Tymoshenko emphasized that the
building of a new sarcophagus, which would enable to change environment of the
Chornobyl NPP area into an ecologically clean zone, still remains one of the
strategic priorities for Ukraine.
“It is great the EBRD is with Ukraine
on this complicated way towards overcoming the fallouts of the Chornobyl
catastrophe,” she said.
“It gives hope that works into
building of the sarcophagus over Chornobyl nuclear power plant will be
completed and Ukraine,
at last, will see an event which has long been awaited – the territory around
the nuclear power plant will become ecologically safe,” the Premier stressed.
In his turn EBRD President Thomas Mirow also expressed hopes this Grant would help to
successfully complete the works on Chornobyl nuclear plant. “The Agreement has
to facilitate successful construction of a new safe sarcophagus,” Thomas Mirow stressed.
According to him, the new safe
confinement is a unique construction which has never been erected before. The
EBRD President also views to reflect on certain final terms of construction
proves ahead of time for now: “We would like to achieve certain good results on
the building site by 2012, as we consider the year 2012 is of extreme
importance for Ukraine”.
The Prime Minister added the EBRD
grant had been earmarked from the bank’s profits so these funds were not to be
returned.
