Minister of Lithuania: Sooner or Later Belarus to Let Experts in the NPP

Belarusian bureaucrats withhold information about impact of the NPP on the environment.

Sooner or later Belarus will have to let international experts in who could check the security level of the Astravets NPP located 50 km far from Vilnius, Lithuanian Environment Minister Kęstutis Trečiokas stated on Wednesday. However, he notes that negotiations with Belarus are of complex nature.

"Violation of convention has been officially recognized and they finally will have to let international experts in. Now they say it might be possible in the end of the year. Well, better late than never. I say it is hard, but possible", the minister said on Thursday in the interview to Ziniu radijas, ru.delfi.lt reports .

Lithuania proposes to stop the construction of the Astravets NPP, unless nuclear stress imaging and other researches are held by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). According to the minister, it is hardly possible to have the plant not built at all.

In his words, those Belarusian experts who arrived in Vilnius on Wednesday had had no right to take any decision, all the talks on the issue are just a "concussion of the air".

"They provide us with the information not revealed earlier and which should be taken into consideration while assessment of the impact on the environment. When we ask to complete the report they refuse to do it. Such conversation is just a concussion of the air and it was evident that those people had no authority to take any decisions," the minister stressed.

Trečiokas admitted that Lithuania alone would not be able to affect Belarus, therefore, the support of neighboring countries was needed. He believes that Nordic countries provide Lithuania with not sufficient support.

"Some neighbours, like the Scandinavians, behave weird. If they were totally against our plant which used to be under strict control of the IAEA and used safety measures implemented by the Swedes, no they are deaf to our problem. Yes, they are little far from Belarus, but if we recall the Chernobyl accident, then I believe, they could bring great support," the minister said.

On Wednesday representatives from Belarus and Lithuania met in Vilnius to discuss the NPP. Vitalius Auglis, director of the Prevention Pollution Department of the Lithuanian Environment Ministry, stated after the meeting that Lithuania offered Belarus to stop the construction of the NPP, unless nuclear stress imaging and other researches would be held by the IAEA. Representatives of Lithuania and Belarus discussed disagreements after the Committee on the Implementation of the Espoo Convention invited states to report on the negotiation process on the Astravets NPP until the end of July. Lithuania does not accept the construction of the Belarusian NPP. According to it, Belarus has failed to ensure security of the project which locates 20 km far from the state border. Minsk rejects all claims and announces the highest safety standards at the nuclear power plant.