Russia calls for changes to nuclear safety rules

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT Dmitry Medvedev has called for the introduction of new nuclear safety rules on the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, while Ukraine’s leaders have urged the world to help it deal with the continuing effects of the world’s worst atomic accident.

Speaking outside the plant’s reactor number four, which exploded during a botched systems test, Mr Medvedev also acknowledged the Soviet Union’s failure in 1986 to inform its people and the world about the seriousness of the Chernobyl crisis.

“Today I have sent proposals to leaders of major states . . . aimed at ensuring the necessary development of nuclear energy in the world and at the same time at preventing global catastrophic consequences,” Mr Medvedev said in comments coloured by the emergency at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant, which was ravaged last month by an earthquake and tsunami.

“We need to think about preparing new international conventions. And we are obliged to do that . . . in memory of those who 25 years ago were the first to come here to help, in effect, all of humanity.”

Mr Medvedev paid tribute to the “liquidators” who endured intense radiation to fight fires and then conduct a huge clean-up and clad the wrecked reactor in a concrete and steel “sarcophagus”.

Thirty-one people died in the immediate aftermath of the explosion, and many of the 600,000 or so liquidators say they are suffering serious health problems as a result of radiation exposure.

Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovich, whose government last week raised €550 million of a hoped-for €740 million to build a new protective shelter for the reactor, said that “for a long time, Ukraine was alone with this calamity but, happily, we are not alone now”.

“Today the whole world is sure that these kinds of catastrophes know no borders. And Fukushima became a bitter example of that . . . Not a single country can deal with these kinds of catastrophes alone,” he added.

Chernobyl left behind social and economic problems “that will not go away for years”, said Ukrainian prime minister Mykola Azarov, who added that the disaster cost his country more than €120 billion.

“Despite difficult economic circumstances, Ukraine for the last 20 years has been financing on its own the expenses on overcoming the disaster. We are sure that the solidarity of nations and states, the humanism of modern civilisation will not leave Ukraine without help,” he said.

Amid widespread criticism of Japanese officials for failing to give timely and accurate information on the situation at Fukushima, Mr Medvedev criticised Soviet leaders who were slow to evacuate and give prophylactic medicines to people around Chernobyl and to alert the world to its dangers.

“The duty of the state is to tell people the truth. It must be acknowledged that the [Soviet] state did not always behave correctly,” he said.

“In order for such tragedies never to be repeated we must all be honest, we must provide absolutely exact information about what is going on.”