BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

28/06/2008

Nordic dialogue with Belarus

A delegation of Nordic and Baltic MPs who visited Belarus and Ukraine, 24-27 June, to study the effects of the Chernobyl disaster, agree on the need to continue dialogue with Belarus. They were, however, unable to reach a consensus on whether or not the lesson of the disaster is that the use of nuclear power should be ruled out.

Asmund Kristoffersen from Norway, who chairs the Nordic Council Environment Committee, was accompanied on the study trip by Kristen Touborg (Denmark), Kaj Leo Johannesen (the Faroe islands), Ilkka Kantola and Anne-Mari Virolainen (Finland), Raija-Liisa Eklow (Aland), Kolbrun Halldorsdottir and Helgi Hjorvar (Iceland), Hans Frode Kielland Asmyhr and Ivar Kristiansen (Norway) Jan Lindholm (Sweden), Ingmars Lidaka (Latvia) and Donatas Jankuskas (Lithuania).

Touborg from Denmark saw no reason to moderate her opposition to nuclear power after witnessing the effects of the Chernobyl disaster.

"I was shocked by what I saw. The old cladding on reactor 4 is no longer fit for purpose. The worst-case scenario is that it could cause a new disaster as it will be some time before the new shell is in place. I have definitely not change my mind about nuclear power," she said.

Virolainen from Finland still supports building new nuclear plants in Finland, however.

"Times have changed. We know a lot more now - including what happened in Chernobyl. A lot of what we heard in Belarus was propaganda. The politicians we met were positive but unrealistic. It's important to continue the dialogue though. We may be taking small steps, but dialogue will get us there in the end," she commented.

The visit to Belarus made a strong impression on Lindholm from Sweden.

"The visit to Belarus was interesting but we have to weigh up the information we came away with. The dictatorship there exercised an awful lot of control over who we met. As far as nuclear power is concerned, any Swedish decision about new plants would not take effect until after 2029 anyway, so we will still have to solve our energy problems long before then," was his reaction.

Halldorsdottir from Iceland also acknowledged the challenges.

"Even though we've never used nuclear power in Iceland, we do have Sellafield relatively close by. Pollution knows no borders. That much became very clear after our visit to the restricted zone in Belarus. We only have one planet - and it's our joint responsibility," she pointed out.

In general, the delegation wishes to continue dialogue with both the government and the opposition in Minsk.

Jens Nytoft Rasmussen, Advisor

jnr@norden.org

+45 3396 0400 / matkapuh. +45 2469 9453

Source:

http://www.norden.org/webb/news/news.asp?id=7977&lang=6

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