Azubalis: NPP near Lithuania border will cloud relations with Belarus

If Belarus starts construction of a nuclear power plant close to the Lithuanian border, it will cloud the relations between the two countries for years, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis said.

“As a citizen of Lithuania and the country’s foreign minister, I am concerned about and cannot understand Belarus’s intention to construct a power plant, which raises many unanswered questions, 50 kilometres from the capital of Lithuania […]

“This is a decision of Belarus, but if it is implemented, I state with all responsibility and with no doubts that it will cloud the relations between Lithuania and Belarus for decades and impact the agenda of political cooperation,” Azubalis said in the Seimas at an open hearing.

The minister, however, hopes that “the Belarusian authorities will listen to our interest to live in safe environment”.

Speaking to representatives of the Belarusian opposition and NGOs, Azubalis said the Belarusian society should express its opinion on the issue.

We remind that Lithuania criticizes the plans of Belarus and Russia to build nuclear power plants close to the Lithuanian border. Lithuanian politicians raise concern about the reactors, which, they claim, have not been tested properly. It is still unclear why the sites near the border were chosen. Moreover, emergency plans have not been prepared and safety issues are being ignored.

Lithuania plans to construct a nuclear power plant in Visaginas. The project is expected to attract a big foreign company and governments of the three Baltic states and Poland, Delfi reports with a reference to BNS.