MINSK, 5 November (BelTA) – Belarus' Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented on the note of the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry regarding the launch of the Belarusian nuclear power plant. The statement by Anatoly Glaz, Head of the Information and Digital Diplomacy Office, Press Secretary of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is available on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, BelTA has learned.
"It's really simple. Lithuania usually uses diplomatic correspondence on the issues of the Belarusian nuclear power plant not to get answers but to maintain hysteria in its mass media. Numerous notes, which the official Vilnius churns out like the proverbial iodine tablets, generate apocalyptic headlines and are expected to wreak havoc among Lithuanian citizens," the Foreign Ministry said.
At the same time, according to Anatoly Glaz, Lithuania has long sacrificed a normal dialogue, which could bring a mutually beneficial results, to its geopolitical ambitions.
"In another episode of this ‘epistolary series' Lithuania accused us of ‘irresponsible and hasty' launch of the Belarusian nuclear power plant. I hope that Lithuania still has professional nuclear specialists left as part of ‘Soviet occupation heritage' who understand things. Pre-launch operations at the Belarusian nuclear power plant are conducted in the strictest accordance with the schedule of stage programs under the supervision of Gosatomnadzor and other supervisory bodies," the ministry stressed.
In addition to all the supervisory bodies, Vilnius single-handedly questions the authority of the organizations that are the backbone of the world's nuclear industry, abuses the trust of its partners in the EU, said Anatoly Glaz. “Closely working with us at all stages of the construction of the plant, the IAEA, the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO), the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG) have sent expert mission that have repeatedly confirmed that there are no shortcomings that could be an obstacle to the safe launch of the first power unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant. Lithuanian regulator VATESI, by the way, participates in the work of these organizations, receives all the necessary information from the Belarusian side,” Anatoly Glaz noted.
“We do not feel self-complacent, but in fact the BelNPP is the only one of all nuclear power plants, currently in operation or still in design, in Europe that has been tested to meet the latest, most stringent European standards today,” he added.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the launch of the nuclear power plant is a technologically complex and gradual process. In accordance with its international obligations, understanding all the responsibility to its people and the peoples of the neighboring countries, Belarus carries out all the procedures openly and transparently. “Unfortunately, the Lithuanian side responds to each technological stage with a new note with old arguments. The official Vilnius does not spare paper. The damage to the environment is obvious here,” Anatoly Glaz quipped. “Our energy professionals even now, at the peak of the anti-Belarusian campaign in Lithuania, understand the seriousness of such topics and do not resort to ‘all fools but us' arguments. The dialogue on the difficulties with ensuring nuclear and radiation safety during the decommissioning of the Ignalina NPP in Lithuania is conducted at the expert level, with due respect and interest,” Anatoly Glaz said.
The Belarusian diplomat stressed that the safety of the nuclear facility is an extremely serious matter and one should not turn it into farce.
