Ukraine is planning to raise EUR 740 million at an international conference in Kyiv on April 19 to attract funds for Chornobyl projects, such as completing the shelter facility and a new interim spent fuel storage facility (ISF-2) at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, Emergencies Minister Viktor Baloha has said.
"On Tuesday, Kyiv will host a conference to raise funds for Chornobyl recovery projects. The G8 countries, the European Commission, and other investors are planning to make additional contributions. Ukraine expects that a greater part of the necessary funds will be allocated," he said at a press conference in Kyiv on Wednesday.
Baloha said that the shortage of funds for the completion of these facilities was about EUR 740 million and that Ukraine expected to collect this amount. He noted that Ukraine would also make its contribution to the completion of these objects and that its amount would be announced at the conference.
The minister also said that the total cost of construction work amounted to EUR 980 million and that the completion of the facilities was scheduled for 2015.
"We are ready to complete the shelter facility in mid-summer 2015 or at most in September-October and the ISF-2 approximately in the same terms," he said.
Baloha said that Japan would participate in the donor conference. Despite the current situation in the country, it is not planning to reduce the level of its commitments to Ukraine, he said.
