International donors pledge 87 million euros for projects in the Chernobyl zone
Ukraine will receive 87.4 million euros from international donors for projects in the Chernobyl zone, according to results from the donor conference.
International donors pledged an additional contribution of 87.4 million euros to the Nuclear Safety Account of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to finance projects in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. The Ambassador of Japan in Ukraine, Shigeki Sumi, discussed the results of the donor conference at a briefing in Kiev on Monday, April 25, 2016, the news agency "Ukrainian News" informed.
"Members of the Big Seven have stated that they intend to make an additional contribution of about 45 million euros. Other donors have also promised to contribute about 2.4 million euros," said the diplomat. The Japanese Ambassador added that the Board of Directors of the EBRD approved the allocation of 40 million euros to the nuclear security of the Bank's own funds.
According to the news agency AFP, the funds will go towards completing the construction of a nuclear waste storage facility. "It’s an important project for the world as well as, of course, for Ukraine and Ukrainians," the EBRD's President, Sir Suma Chakrabarti, said.
It is also previously reported that the Minister of Environment of Germany, Barbara Hendricks, announced the allocation of additional financial assistance to Ukraine to overcome the consequences of the Chernobyl accident, in particular, contributing to the Chernobyl Shelter Fund. "We have allocated around 120 million euros. In addition, in the coming years, we are investing 19 million euros in the project," Hendricks said in an interview with the German newspaper “Nordwest-Zeitung”, published on Friday, April 22, 2016.