MINSK, 27 May (BelTA) – Lithuania's complaints about the safety of the Belarusian nuclear power plant are inexplicable, BelTA learned from Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei on 27 May.
Vladimir Makei said: “We cannot comprehend the reproaches voiced by Lithuanian partners about the safety of our nuclear reactor.” The Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs pointed out that after the necessary stress tests specialists have concluded that the Fukushima tragedy would not have happened if the Japanese nuclear power plant had had the reactor of the type the Belarusian nuclear power plant will get.
As the country most affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster Belarus will never build an unsafe nuclear power plant, stressed Vladimir Makei. The official responded to claims stating that the reactor of the future Belarusian nuclear power plant is allegedly experimental and unsafe. “It is in in no way experimental. It is an improved model of the reactor that has been quite effectively and safely used by many countries, including in the European Union,” stressed Vladimir Makei.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that a lot of political clamor has been heard lately about the economic project, which the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant is. Vladimir Makei reminded that Lithuanian partners had demonstrated a constructive and pragmatic position with regard to the lifting of some European Union sanctions from Belarus and the Belarusian side was thankful for that. However, while voting for the removal of the sanctions with one hand, Lithuania votes with the other hand to discourage a number of European financial institutions from cooperating with Belarus on infrastructure projects, which may be related to the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant one way or another. “In other words, if we are busy developing our infrastructure and intend to build roads using money borrowed from European financial institutions, it means that the same roads can be used to transport the commodities required to build the nuclear power plant. If so, cooperation with Belarus in these projects is no go. This stance is absolutely inexplicable. It can be seen as new sanctions in disguise,” believes the Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
