Every year on April 26, Belarusians commemorate the Chernobyl disaster, the world's largest man-made accident. Today, the United Institute of Informatics Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus held a unified awareness day on the topic "Chernobyl: From Revival to Sustainable Development." Deputy Director General for Research Sergei Kasanin led a meeting with the staff.

Over the past four decades, Belarus has come a long way: from eliminating the consequences of the accident and remediating contaminated land to full recovery and transition to sustainable socioeconomic development. This confirms that, despite enormous challenges, the country has not only overcome the devastating consequences but also achieved significant success in the safe use of nuclear energy and caring for the future.

The Chernobyl accident affected almost a quarter of the country's territory. Annual expenditures on mitigating its consequences accounted for approximately 3% of the state budget. Over the past 40 years, six state programs have been implemented to rehabilitate the affected areas. The Chernobyl experience has taught us a great deal. Belarusians pay particular attention to environmental safety, and so our country is carefully pursuing its high-tech development.

Today, the "peaceful atom" has become firmly entrenched in many areas of human activity, including the production and use of radioisotopes in medicine, industry, and agriculture. Furthermore, the nuclear industry provides the foundation for the country's energy independence. Nuclear technologies allow Belarus to achieve energy independence and keep pace with developed countries, while maintaining its unique mentality—"peaceful and responsible."