Post date: Apr 25, 2011 6:58:17 PM
On the eve of 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster Russia's President gives awards to rescuers who battled to contain radioactive contamination but reiterated Russia's commitment to the development of nuclear energy.
MOSCOW, RUSSIA (APRIL 25, 2011) AGENCY POOL - Twenty-five years after the world's worst nuclear disaster Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday (April 25) gave awards to those who fought to contain nuclear contamination following the explosion and mealtdow of Chernobyl reactor.
Addressing Chernobyl veterans at an awards ceremony in the Kremlin Medvedev called the world to be vigilant after the Fukushima accident in Japan but said Russia remained committed to further development of nuclear energy."The recent events have reminded humanity that we can't take things easy and that when taking important decisions it is necessary to take into account a whole range of issues which in the future might affect safety. Of course I mean the situation around the Japanese Fukushima 1 nuclear plant. At the same time, we should not block development. The peaceful atom remains the cheapest and, in general, environmentally, the cleanest type of energy," Medvedev said.
A quarter of a century since the meltdown at Ukraine's Chernobyl power plant, the international community is still trying to secure funds to make the site of the world's worst nuclear accident safe.
After Chernobyl's No. 4 reactor exploded on April 26, 1986, a "sarcophagus" was built over a period of six months as a temporary measure to stop radiation from spreading, with workers often putting their life at risk to complete it.