Yuri Ambrazevich. An archive photo
MINSK, 23 April (BelTA) – Proximity to the Ignalina nuclear power plant causes worries in Belarus. Belarusian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yuri Ambrazevich made the statement before a session of the Sustainable Development Council held in Minsk ahead of International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day, BelTA has learned.
In view of the upcoming anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe the reporters wondered about the state of affairs at the Ignalina nuclear power plant, which is located at the Belarusian border, and whether this facility can be described as safe.
Yuri Ambrazevich pointed out that the Ignalina nuclear power plant was built in the period of the Soviet Union and is similar to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. “This proximity causes our legitimate worrying. The key thing we don’t have is a proper level of communication with the Lithuanian government regarding the safety of the Ignalina nuclear power plant,” the deputy minister of foreign affairs stated.
He stressed that any nuclear power plant is a complicated technological installation that cannot be simply extinguished like a campfire. Even after a nuclear power plant is decommissioned, it needs lengthy and serious conservation work.
“Right now we don’t feel confident that everything proceeds as intended. There is no doubt we are interested in two-way communication with Lithuanian colleagues about these matters both at the political level and the level of technical experts where all of these matters are supposed to be clarified,” Yuri Ambrazevich said.
