EBRD grants Eur 135 to build Chornobyl sarcophagus

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.