On July 5, Minsk / Tatyana Chumakova - BELTA /. Belarus and the World Bank have signed an agreement for a loan of $42.5 million and a grant from the Global Environment Facility of $5.5 million for the implementation of a comprehensive solid waste management project in Belarus, a BELTA correspondent reports. As Ivan Velev, the Permanent Representative of the World Bank to Belarus, stated, the project consists of two parts. The first part provides for solid waste management, and the second part deals with persistent organic pollutants (POPs). $42.5 million will be allocated for the implementation of the first part of the project, and $5.5 million for the second part. The loan repayment period is 15 years with a grace period of 5 years. The comprehensive project includes the construction of a waste processing plant in Grodno with a capacity of 120 thousand tons per year, noted Vladimir Belokhvostov, Minister of Housing and Communal Services of Belarus. The plant is scheduled to be commissioned by 2014. "This is the first time I have signed an agreement on such favorable terms," noted Vladimir Belokhvostov. He also emphasized that he hopes for the implementation of the second stage of the project for the operation of the waste processing plant after 2014, when "100% disposal of hazardous substances will be achieved." The second stage of the project provides for "processing of ballast that cannot be used for secondary production." The waste processing plant will be built by the company that wins the currently ongoing tender, the results of which will be known by September. Companies from Germany, Sweden, France, and Denmark are vying for the opportunity to build the plant. As a result of the comprehensive project implementation, it is planned to remove "about 1,050 tons of pesticides from Slonim, and 840 tons of equipment containing POPs," noted Vladimir Tsalko, Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Belarus. Currently, there are about 8,000 tons of pesticides in Belarus that require destruction. Belarus became a member of the World Bank in 1992. Since then, the country has been allocated a total of $685 million for the implementation of 10 projects. About thirty national programs have received grant support totaling $24 million. Currently, Belarus is using World Bank funds to finance five infrastructure development projects. -0-

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