MINSK (BeITA) — Plans have been made to sign an agreement on preparedness for a nuclear accident or a radiation accident situation and assistance on dealing with their consequences at a session of the CIS Heads of Government Council in Astana, Kazakhstan on 2 November, the press service of the CIS Executive Committee declared.

Chernobyl disaster

The Chernobyl accident is considered the most disastrous nuclear power plant accident in history, both in terms of cost and casualties.

Participants of the CIS Heads of Government Council session are expected to discuss and adopt a number of important documents. The agreement on cooperation in dealing with nuclear or radiation accidents is one of them. In line with the agreement if an accident occurs, the parties will have to immediately provide assistance to each other in order to minimize consequences of a nuclear or radiation accident, protect people’s health, property, and environment from radioactive emissions and ionizing radiation.

The agreement will also take care of the practical part of providing such assistance. In particular, relief teams will be allowed to enter the territory of the country in distress on a top priority basis, including special vehicles, equipment, tools, instruments, and materials.

Apart from that, the agencies in charge of implementing the agreement will have to regularly share information, provide genuine and full information about accidents. The CIS commission on peaceful uses of nuclear energy will help establish this cooperation. The document will improve the nuclear and radiation safety of the CIS states and minimize negative consequences for human health and environmental state in the course of using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.