Japan, Ukraine commend UNDP Chornobyl programme
On July 20-23, 2005, President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko paid an official visit to Japan. One of the key events of Viktor Yushchenko’s stay in the country of the Rising Sun was his meeting with Prime Minister of Japan Junichiro Koizumi, which took place on the 21st of July 2005.
During the meeting, Junichiro Koizumi and Viktor Yushchenko discussed both the actual state and the perspectives of the development of the bilateral relations and the international politics issues. On the meeting Prime Minister of Japan and President of Ukraine issued two statements. One of them is the Joint Statement on a New Partnership in the 21st Century between Japan and Ukraine and the other is the Joint Press Release on the Cooperation between Japan and Ukraine in the field of Science and Technology.
In the Joint Statement on a New Partnership in the 21st Century between Japan and Ukraine, Japanese and Ukrainian sides welcomed the successful implementation of the Chornobyl Recovery and Development Program by the UNDP.
Here is an extract from the above mentioned Joint Statement:
“Cooperation related to the accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant"
Remembering the upcoming 20th anniversary of the accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant next year, the Japanese side, feeling sympathy with the Ukrainian people who suffered and are still suffering from the effects of radiation as a result of the accident, expressed its intention to continue to provide assistance to those who were affected.
In this regard, both sides welcomed the successful implementation of the Chornobyl Recovery and Development Program by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), to which Japan contributed $1.18 million through the UN Trust Fund for Human Security.
Furthermore, the Japanese side committed itself to provide an additional $10 million to the Chornobyl Shelter Fund to help complete the construction of the Shelter.
The Ukrainian side expressed its gratitude to the Japanese side for its assistance and its readiness to provide additional financing to ensure the prompt completion of the Shelter.”
Source: an official web-site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan http://www.mofa.go.jp
