Изображение: t.me/CabinetBelarus
On the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus published a statement calling for the restoration of the country’s non-nuclear status and the withdrawal of Russian nuclear weapons from Belarusian territory.
“The catastrophe at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant 40 years ago showed what the atom is in the hands of an authoritarian regime. Chernobyl became a symbol of irresponsibility and betrayal, a symbol of the threat and danger of the uncontrolled use of nuclear energy for people.
Today, the Lukashenka regime continues the same irresponsible policy. Over 32 years of his rule, benefits have been abolished, assistance programmes for victims have been discontinued, and food is once again being produced on contaminated land. The regime is putting the lives of millions of Belarusians at risk by deploying Russian nuclear weapons on our territory and building the Astravets Nuclear Power Plant without proper international oversight”, the authors said.
“Through a falsified referendum in 2022, the provision on Belarus’s neutral and non-nuclear status was removed from the Constitution. The subsequent deployment of nuclear weapons on our territory created a direct threat to peace and Belarus’s independence, turning the country into a target and putting the lives of millions of people at risk”, they added.
The Cabinet put forward a number of demands: to restore Belarus’s non-nuclear status, to stop provocations and blackmail involving nuclear weapons, to withdraw Russian nuclear weapons, to ensure transparency in the operation of the Belarusian nuclear power plant in accordance with international standards, including IAEA norms and the requirements of the Espoo Convention, and to begin a broad public dialogue on the use of nuclear technologies in Belarus.
“Chernobyl reminds us: nuclear safety is impossible without transparency, responsibility and sovereignty. Belarus must not be a platform for Russian nuclear threats”, the authors concluded.