Mr. Speaker, today is the 10th anniversary of the disaster of the Chernobyl nuclear station. On behalf of all Canadians I express anew our profound sympathy and condolences for the survivors of this tragic accident, for those who lost family and friends, for those who lost health and peace of mind and for those who lost their homes and their livelihoods.
We pay particular tribute to the courage, commitment and competence of the many Ukrainians, Russians, Belarusans and others who took determined and effective action to contend with the costs and impact of the accident, often at the risk of their own lives. Many have since perished.
Chernobyl symbolizes the necessity for the operators of nuclear reactors worldwide to put safety first. We must all learn the lessons of Chernobyl so that such a tragedy never recurs.
The Moscow nuclear summit contributed to this goal by highlighting the absolute priority of the safe use of nuclear energy and by strengthening international co-operation in security and safety issues.
Both the Canadian government and the Canadian private sector have provided assistance through many channels to the victims of the accident. We have committed some $32 million to projects aimed at relieving the suffering caused by the accident and to nuclear safety projects aimed at ensuring such an accident will not happen again.
Canadians have shown their solidarity with the citizens of the affected areas in many different ways, from inviting to their homes young people living in areas exposed to radiation to participating in projects setting up systems to monitor the environment in radiation fallout areas.
Canada has been particularly active in the G-7 to enable Ukraine to meet its energy needs while closing the Chernobyl nuclear station and containing its lingering dangers. As the chair of the G-7 last year, we led the successful negotiation of the memorandum of understanding on the closure of Chernobyl signed with Ukraine in Ottawa last December by the Deputy Prime Minister. The Prime Minister was also active at last week's Moscow summit in reaffirming the mutual commitment to the implementation of this agreement.
Our decision to organize and host the Winnipeg conference on Ukraine's economic transition has served as a catalyst for the subsequent efforts of leading industrialized nations to come to the assistance of Ukraine.
We intend to continue our political and economic co-operation with Ukraine in nuclear safety and energy sector development and other vital fields both bilaterally and multilaterally. We will work to help Ukraine lend meaning to its precious new independence and to win a better life for its people. That is the best way to help the victims and to honour the memory of those who lost their lives.
Today, the 10th anniversary of the disaster at Chernobyl, I speak on behalf of all Canadians in expressing our support and friendship for the people of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus who have all suffered the consequences of this accident. Let us keep working together to ensure a similar tragedy never happens again.