Today, on April 26, Presidents of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko visited Chornobyl NPP industrial site. The Heads of two States participated in the events devoted to the 31-st anniversary of Chornobyl accident: together they paid tribute to the memory of those who perished in Chornobyl disaster and then visited a number of facilities of ChNPP.
As the press office of the President of Ukraine informed, after completion of commemorative events on the NPP industrial site Petro Poroshenko and Alexander Lukashenko also will hold negotiations in the territory of Belarus.
The Presidents commemorated those people who first sacrificed their own lives to stop the disaster. The baskets of flowers with ribbons of national colours of Ukraine and Belarus were put to the memorial sign to the Heroes of Chornobyl.
When the official ceremony finished the Heads of our two states visited the observation area of Shelter Object and the New Safe Confinement free access area. Besides, the distinguished guests went to the construction site of the Interim Storage Facility for spent nuclear fuel (ISF-1). The guests were provided with detailed information on all these sites and facilities by SSE ChNPP Director General Igor Gramotkin.
The Presidents held press-conference on the NSC construction site. Petro Poroshenko, in particular, mentioned: “Today, undeclared war is waged against Ukraine. We - Ukrainians - fight for independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state. I am confident that we will together tame this demon as well.”
“I have been firmly reassured by the President of Belarus - no one will ever embroil the people of Belarus in a war against Ukraine. Peaceful people of Belarus and an experienced and highly honourable President Alexander Lukashenko will not allow that,” – President noted. Petro Poroshenko emphasized that Ukraine highly appreciates friendship and cooperation with Belarus: “And Kyiv-Minsk line is an axis of good, friendship and peace.”
President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko noted that the Ukrainians are well-aware of the position of the people of Belarus. “Peace, peace and only peace. Ukrainians have never been strangers for Belarusians,” – he emphasized. The leader of Belarus stressed: “We are family. We can walk to you or come on a tractor only and help till the land if necessary. You help us and our countrymen help you. We will work for the sake of peace. We have no other goal.”
Furthermore, Alexander Lukashenko laid special emphasize that the current condition of ChNPP site, new safe confinement and the whole Chornobyl NPP impressed him positively: “I visited your power plant twenty years ago. I should admit: this is much a different power plant!”
The leader of Ukraine stressed: “It is extremely important for us that Ukraine-Belarus border was, is and will always be a border of friendship, good neighbourliness and reliable partnership. A border of peace. And nobody will ever set Ukraine at loggerheads with Belarus.”
