EU ambassadors to visit radiation-contaminated areas in Belarus

Ambassadors of EU member states in Belarus are scheduled on October 11-12 to visit the Homel region. The visit is organized by the Slovakia's Embassy which performs the functions of the EU Presidency in Minsk on behalf of Portugal. Slovak envoy Ljubomir Rehak said the ambassadors are expected to have talks with the region's authorities, to visit local industries and to meet businesspeople and students.

The diplomats will visit the town of Khoyniki and the Palesse environmental reserve in order to familiarize themselves with the existing problems in the Chernobyl-affected areas. Foreign diplomats earlier made familiarization trips to Vitsebsk, Navapolack, Braslau, Hrodna and Pinsk.

On October 8, EU ambassadors will attend the launch of a dog-training center in Smargon at the invitation of Ihar Rachkouski, the chairman of the State Border Control Committee of Belarus. The center's upgrade was sponsored by EU and the United Nations Development Program, reports Belta.