MP: Belarus is open to dialogue on NPP project with neighboring countries

Belarus is well prepared and open to dialogue on the NPP project with the neighboring countries, BelTA learnt from Dmitry Kharitonchik, chairman of the permanent commission on industry, fuel and energy, transport and communications of the House of Representatives.

“Belarus is completely open and ready for dialogue. We even insist on dialogue, but somehow the neighboring country does not want this,” he said, referring to Lithuania. The MP also noted that such a position is at least surprising, because the dialogue on NPP is, without doubt, interesting for the majority of citizens of the neighboring countries.

"This position to ignore our country and the construction of the nuclear power plant is not entirely clear. This potentially affects residents of neighboring states," he added.

As was reported, on 25 July the Belarusian Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that Lithuania is reluctant to engage in the constructive cooperation under the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (the Espoo Convention). Belarus makes every effort to ensure that the preparatory process for the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant is fully compatible with international requirements. Lithuania was provided with detailed answers to the questions raised. A detailed report on transboundary environmental impact assessment translated into Lithuanian has been sent to Lithuania. “All these actions are implemented in strict accordance with the provisions of the international convention. Nevertheless, we see that this information has not reached the public in Lithuania,” said the Foreign Ministry.

Moreover, Belarus suggested holding public consultations with the Lithuanian public on five occasions. All the proposals go unanswered. Belarus called on Lithuania to return to constructive cooperation to fulfill the requirements of the international convention in the spirit of good-neighborliness and mutual understanding.

Belarus plans to build a nuclear power plant at the Ostrovets site in Grodno Oblast. The power plant will feature two power-generating units with the total capacity of up to 2,400MW. The Russian company OAO Nizhny Novgorod Engineering Company Atomenergoproject (NIAEP) - ZAO Atomstroyexport is the designer and the general contractor for the project. The first power-generating unit is scheduled to go online in 2018. The Belarusian nuclear station’s design stems from the AES-2006 design developed by the Saint Petersburg-based institute Atomenergoproject. The AES-2006 design is now used to build the second Leningrad nuclear power plant and the Baltic nuclear power plant. The design meets all the requirements of the national legislation and recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency.