750 foreigners to attend international conference marking 20 years since Chernobyl catastrophe

The international conference “Chernobyl 20 years after. Strategy of rehabilitation and sustainable development of affected regions” due on April 19-21 in Minsk and Gomel will be attended by 750 foreign representatives, chair of the Chernobyl Committee under the Council of Ministers of Belarus Vladimir Tsalko told reporters today. According to him, the events of the first and third days of the conference will host about 1,500 people, the second, a so-called Gomel Day – about 1,700 people. Such international organizations as UN, OSCE, Integration Red Cross and Red Crescent Organizations, International Atomic Energy Agency, etc are expected to take part in the conference. So far 70 representatives of these and other international organizations, 26 heads and employees of foreign consulates in the Republic of Belarus confirmed their participation. The UN deputy secretary-general is expected to show up at the event. “This is another testimony to the importance of the coming event which shows concern of all the international community towards the Chernobyl problem,” the chair of the Chernobyl committee said. The Belarusian scientific forum will be attended by 685 people from the CIS countries, Europe and also Japan and the USA. Among them will be officials of the government bodies, scientific community, leaders and members of the non-governmental foreign organizations. The conference aims to generalize the 20-year-long track record in mitigating the Chernobyl consequences and to elaborate recommendations on long-term rehabilitation and socio-economic development of the affected regions, expand the international Chernobyl cooperation. The preparations for the conference are coordinated by the republican organizational committee headed by deputy prime minister of Belarus Alexander Kosinets. The international organizational committee is led by the UN resident/coordinator in this country Ms. Cihan Sultanolgu and chairman of the Chernobyl committee Vladimir Tsalko.