Belarus and Russia Allocate Up to 2 Billion Rubles for Chernobyl Aftermath Program

MINSK, April 29. /TASS/. Belarus and Russia will allocate up to 2 billion rubles ($26.7 million) for a new common initiative, aimed at addressing the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster, said Head of the Department of Social Policy and Information Support of the Union State's Permanent Committee Olga Boronenko. "Five programs have been already implemented within the Union State. Currently, we are working on the sixth one - it has been approved by both the Belarus' Council of Ministers and the Russian government, we are working on the details. The parties plan to allocate up to 2 billion rubles for the program," the BelTA news agency quoted her as saying. Previously, Chair of Parliamentary Assembly Committee on Natural Resources, Ecology, and Environmental Protection Zhanna Chernyavskaya said that the new program is aimed at rehabilitating contaminated lands and monitoring radiation levels in products manufactured within the affected regions.