Speaker of the Seimas: the power plant in Astravyets is the key issue with Belarus

Press release, 10 January 2017

Photos of the Office of the Seimas (author Džoja Gunda Barysaitė)

On 10 January 2017, Viktoras Pranckietis, Speaker of the Seimas, met with Aleksandr Korol, Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus. According to the Speaker, the safety of the nuclear power plant in Astravyets is the key issue with Belarus.

“The construction of the power plant in Astravyets, Belarus, remains the main nuclear safety issue in the region. During the meeting, considerable concern was voiced about the nuclear safety and recurrent incidents in the Astravyets power plant. In 2016 alone, six major incidents occurred, which Lithuania became aware of only from the information provided by the media rather than official sources of Belarus. We believe that the country, which is developing a nuclear energy project, should behave with particular transparency and openness,” the Speaker of the Seimas said.

The Speaker of the Seimas also called for guaranteeing safety of Astravyets nuclear power plant and ensuring international monitoring and control of the project. According to him, Belarus has to provide access to the international commission for the supervision of the construction of the Astravyets power plant in order to prevent further incidents in the future. Mr Pranckietis believes that it is necessary to conduct risk assessment and stress tests in the nuclear power plant in Astravyets without any further delay.

During the meeting with the ambassador of Belarus, the matters related to economic cooperation, improvement of conditions for crossing the border with Belarus, and promotion of tourism were also discussed.

Dalia Vencevičienė, Senior Adviser to the Speaker of the Seimas, tel. +370 5 239 6016, mob: +370 698 42 071, e-mail: [email protected]