Minsk thanks UN for creation of long-term development strategy for Belarusian regions hit by Chernobyl disaster
MINSK. April 25 (Interfax) - Belarusian Foreign Minister, Vladimir Makei, expressed hope that the new international program of cooperation on behalf of the Belarusian territories that had been affected by the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant disaster will be implemented in 2017.
"We hope that the decision of the conference will promote the formation of a new stage of international cooperation on the Chernobyl issue, under the aegis of the United Nations. Particularly, Belarus expects that the new initiative to achieve goals of sustainable development of the affected regions by means of partnership, innovations, and investments, will get underway in 2017, with support from the UN," Makei said, at the international conference, Thirty Years after Chernobyl, in Minsk on Monday.
Addressing the Administrator of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Helen Clark, the Belarusian foreign minister expressed gratitude to the UNDP for the support provided for Belarus on the issue of creation of the long-term development strategy for the regions affected by the Chernobyl disaster, and for the targeted aid for the people living in these territories as well.
Makei said that the cooperation with the UNDP is not limited by the Chernobyl disaster issues, and that Belarus and the UN had executed dozens of successful projects in the fields of healthcare, education, ecology, entrepreneurial development, and government capacity building.
The implementation of the UNDP program to support Belarus in 2016-2020 started this year, with an overall budget of more than $100 million. "The implementation of these programs will be an important contribution to the UN's assistance of the national efforts of Belarus in achieving the goals of sustainable development for the period through 2030," Makei said.
He expressed confidence that Clark's visit to Belarus will give new momentum to the development of the republic's cooperation with the UN.
In return, Clark said that the UNDP initiated the transition from humanitarian aid for Belarus to long-term economic and social development of the territories that were affected by the Chernobyl disaster over the last 10 years.
The full-fledged support program would not be possible without the active support of Belarusian authorities, she said.
The UNDP is pleased with the state of the relations established with the republic. The organization is also glad that the cooperation is established not only with the central government authorities, but also, on the level of regional authorities, she said.
