Ukraine has said that it would keep its promise to shut down the troubled Chernobyl nuclear power plant by the year 2000, but only if it received enough financial assistance from the West. "Till date, Ukraine's position is unchanged. Ukraine is ready to fulfil its obligation to close the Chernobyl station by the year 2000,' Olexander Martynenko, presidential spokesperson told journalists.

Ukraine promised the Group of Seven leading industrial nations (G-7) to shut down Chernobyl by 2000 in exchange for financial aid to finish building two replacement reactors. It says it is yet to receive the promised funds.

Experts say completing the two new reactors will cost about us $1.2 billion. The plant originally had four reactors but only one is still operating. One reactor exploded in April 1986, another was stopped in 1997 after it exhausted its safe life-span. A third has not been rehabilitated after a fire in 1991.