MINSK, 17 July (BelTA) – Rosatom State Atomiс Energy Corporation is interested in cooperation with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Belarus on issues of compliance with international conventions, Director of the Department for Implementation of State and Sectoral Environmental Programs at Rosatom Andrey Lebedev told journalists before the first meeting of the Russia-Belarus working group to identify cooperation projects within the framework of the memorandum of understanding between Rosatom and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, BelTA has learned.
“In the autumn of 2023, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection and Rosatom. In line with the document, in the first half of 2024 experts, the scientific community and our employees compiled a list of activities aimed at improving the quality of life and the environmental situation through processing of various types of industrial hazardous waste and pesticides that have accumulated since the times of the USSR,” Andrey Lebedev noted.
According to him, the first meeting of the interdepartmental working group will focus on developing specific action plans to further these efforts.
“We paid close attention to Belarus' proposals and needs. We also looked at the needs of the Russian side. Today we are approving a specific action plan that will be implemented in 2025-2030. We have also decided on the first basic project that will be relevant for the Russian Federation and other CIS countries in the future,” Andrey Lebedev remarked.
There are plans to step up cooperation not only in the processing of pesticides, but also in matters of compliance with international conventions, for example, the Stockholm Convention and the Basel Convention. “It pertains to PCB oils, persistent organic pollutants. Today we are specifically discussing the timing, plans and drafting of relevant applications within the Union State. The scientific community also makes a significant contribution to the development and testing of new technologies. We need experts and competencies for high-quality production of equipment,” Andrey Lebedev added.
BelTA – News from Belarus