Irish couples will soon be able to adopt children from Chernobyl, according to Ms Adi Roche, executive director of the Chernobyl Children's Project. Ms Roche said agreement was expected to be reached with the government of Belarus within weeks.
She was speaking at a press conference to introduce the first ministerial delegation from Belarus to Ireland. At present there are six children from the contaminated Chernobyl region resident in Ireland. Ms Roche said these would be the first to benefit once the agreement was signed, and they may be adopted by the families with whom they are living. She said Irish people interested in adopting children from Belarus should contact the Irish Adoption Board or the Belorussian embassy in London. The Belorussian parliament is to introduce legislation shortly regarding international adoption agreements.
The possibility of adoption is included in a protocol signed last November between the Belorussian Ministry of Education and the Chernobyl Children's Project. The protocol also covers humanitarian aid, research, medical treatment and rest and recuperation for children.
"This protocol marks a major achievement in the development of international relations between Ireland and Belarus," said Ms Roche. "The signing of the protocol is both inspirational and aspirational. As we move towards the new millennium this protocol provides a framework for continuing our work towards a nuclear-free world." Ms Anna Shorop, director of the Department of Chernobyl Affairs in Belarus, said the Irish charity was an "example to the world in the way it carries out its humanitarian aid programmes. Its summer programme in particular has aided the recuperation of thousands of Chernobyl-affected children," she said.
Mr Oleg Sluka, First Deputy Minister for Education in Belarus, said more than 500,000 children were living in the contaminated areas surrounding Chernobyl. He paid tribute to the generosity of the Irish people in helping these children, saying it was difficult for a country to fight a catastrophe of such magnitude on its own.
"Radiation knows no borders, but human kindness also knows no borders. We accept with gratitude the help of the Irish Government, the Irish people and organisations such as the Chernobyl Children's Project," said Mr Sluka. Ms Roche said that in eight years more than 4,000 children had been brought from Belarus to Ireland for rest and recuperation, as well as a number for medical treatment. In that time £9.5 million had been sent in aid.