CIS Permanent Plenipotentiary Representatives Briefed on Efforts to Address Consequences of Chernobyl Nuclear Accident

A meeting of the Council of Permanent Plenipotentiary Representatives of CIS Member Nations at the Statutory and other Bodies of the Commonwealth took place at Educational Center of Life Safety of the Ministry for Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus. The main topic was the upcoming 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Before the session, participants laid flowers at the “Victims of Chernobyl” memorial in Minsk’s Park of People’s Friendship. They were briefed on four decades of work aimed at mitigating the consequences of the catastrophe. Since the accident, 1,657 settlements (45% of all affected settlements) have been restored to normal living conditions. In addition, 20,500 hectares of land in the Brest, Gomel, and Mogilev regions have been returned to agricultural use under strict radiological monitoring.

The Council also reviewed the results of activities dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and the Year of Peace and Unity in the Fight against Nazism. Key achievements included the establishment of a unified commemorative medal and the introduction of the CIS honorary title “City of Labor Glory 1941–1945,” awarded to 19 cities across Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Participants discussed cooperation in foreign policy, railway transport development, counterterrorism efforts, and hydrometeorological collaboration within the CIS countries.

Deputy Secretary General of the IPA CIS Council – Plenipotentiary Representative of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus Viktor Kogut took part in the events.