G7 says Chernobyl shelter to be completed by November 2017

LONDON (Reuters) - The world's leading powers said on Wednesday that a shelter to cover the collapsed Chernobyl nuclear power station would be completed by November 2017 although they were still short of the money needed to finish the project,

German Environment Minister Jochen Flasbarth, speaking on behalf of the Group of Seven major economies, said a meeting on Wednesday had secured "concrete pledges" for 530 million euros of the remaining 650 million euros ($726 million pounds) needed to complete the sarcophagus.

He added that he was confident that countries including Russia and China would provide the rest of the money.

"I am very relieved, we have created a big success this afternoon," Flasbarth said.

(Reporting by Marc Jones, editing by Nigel Stephenson)

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