BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

23/02/2007

Belarusian President Moves To Ease Border Formalities For Chornobyl Personnel

Alyaksandr Lukashenka on February 22 approved a draft agreement between Belarus and Ukraine on easing border-crossing formalities along the road and railway route between the Ukrainian city of Slavutych and the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, which run through Belarus's Homel Oblast. The eased formalities, which envisage exemption from customs inspections, would reportedly apply to the personnel of the Chornobyl plant living in Slavutych, vehicles and shipments destined for the plant, as well as foreign experts involved in the carrying out of international projects concerning the construction of the shelter around the reactor ruined in the 1986 explosion. There have recently been reports in Belarusian and Ukrainian media that Lukashenka is to pay an official visit to Kyiv in the near future. JM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2007/02/3-CEE/cee-230207.asp