Best young rescuers receive awards at OSCE-supported international conference

NAROCH, Belarus, 21 September 2010 - Ambassador Benedikt Haller, the Head of the OSCE Office in Minsk, today presented awards to the best young rescuers at annual OSCE-supported Eastern European Rescue Teams Gathering that took place near Naroch in Northern Belarus.

Representatives from 14 countries took part in the event which included a on-site competition hosted by the Ministry of Emergencies of Belarus and organized with the support of the OSCE Office in Minsk.

"The memories of the Chernobyl accident are still fresh in the minds of people of Belarus and of Eastern Europe as a whole. The OSCE Office in Minsk attaches great value to the involvement of the next generations in the prevention and mitigation of natural disasters and other accidents, which affect the environment and the people," said Haller.

"In 2003 the OSCE together with the UN partners started the Environment and Security Initiative, identifying risks and promoting regional co-operation, and today's event is an example of our activities in this sphere," he concluded.

For years the OSCE Office in Minsk has supported the Ministry of Emergencies in improving the Ministry's capacity to tackle human, technical or natural disasters. Past projects include the rehabilitation of the living conditions in Chernobyl-affected territories, offering expertise and financial support to support grassroots initiatives. In 2010 the Office continues to support agro-business development activities in the area.