Kopyl regional executive committee

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko notes the significant progress achieved over the past two decades in the rehabilitation of the territories affected by the Chernobyl disaster. The head of state said this today, visiting the Polessky State Radiation Ecological Reserve in the Khoiniki District of the Gomel Region, BelTA.
"For me, this is part of my personal and presidential life, although everything is mixed up here, from pain to positive impressions." I lived this life together with them (residents of the affected territories. "- BelTA comment)," the Belarusian leader said.
The head of state noted that as in the first years of his presidency, he continues to regularly visit the Gomel Region, including places contaminated by radiation. "The most important thing is that people live normally here," said the President, "In those days when I came here in the second year of my presidency here, people were intimidated, many of them were doing politics, they were already abroad (they lived on foreign grants They moved out, but people stayed alive. "
"Over the last 20 years, a lot has changed: here people live, as in all of Belarus, this is the greatest joy for me, one of the results of this presidential period is what the Belarusian people did." He did not just save, he brought these This is the main result, "Alexander Lukashenko said.
The president said that the issue of rehabilitation and rehabilitation of the territories affected by the plant is for him personally a big part of his life. It was here that we had to make the most serious decisions. "When we started to develop the land, there was a lot of criticism against me, so I had to settle in Pripyat, I built a wooden house," he said.
The Head of State stated that the results of the work done, including those reflected in the economic indicators. Thus, over the past several five-year plans in the Gomel region, it has been possible to double and triple the production of food products in various segments. "And they buy only pure products." The most severe control, "said the President.
In the reserve, Alexander Lukashenko visited the uninhabited Babchin village, where more than 700 people were evacuated after the Chernobyl accident. Some of the buildings there are used for the needs of the reserve. The head of state was informed that, with the necessary precautions being taken, a large part of the territories can still be used for various types of economic activities. Among them are woodworking, beekeeping, breeding of pedigree horses. These areas have already been successfully mastered by the reserve specialists, who nevertheless receive normative-clean products in difficult conditions. Alexander Lukashenko personally got acquainted with the farm and tasted honey from the local apiary.
The President instructed to further develop the relevant areas, which will not only effectively maintain the affected territories in order, but also create new jobs and conditions for the growth of incomes of the inhabitants of this region.
The head of state was also informed about plans to change the boundaries of the reserve, of which it is planned to exclude part of the territories and to involve them more actively in economic circulation. Over the years since the accident, the radiation background there has significantly decreased, which is due to the physical processes of the half-life of radioactive substances. In addition, scientific researches of the last decades make it possible to guarantee the receipt of pure products on these lands, as well as the safe development of meat and dairy cattle breeding. The President instructed to prepare and submit for its consideration a draft of the relevant decree.
A separate assignment of the President concerns the allocation of funds allocated for the economic development of the affected territories. This issue, as before, should be exclusively related to the competence of governors.
After visiting the apiary, Alexander Lukashenko unexpectedly changed the visit route, making the decision to visit those places that remained untouched from the moment of resettlement of residents three decades ago. In the village on the territory of the Polessky radiation-ecological reserve, he inspected one of the abandoned houses.
It is noteworthy that after the dosimetric survey on leaving the reserve on clothes and shoes accompanying the President of journalists, including the correspondent of BELTA, the radiation background was not exceeded.
The President also visited the scientific center of the reserve, got acquainted with the organization of laboratory analysis and control of the radiological situation, inspected the museum of the history of the reserve.