Events

MINSK, 5 July (BelTA) – Belarus invited Lithuania to build the Belarusian nuclear power plant together in the past. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko made the statement during the plenary session held on 5 July on the occasion of the solemn opening of the 26th annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Minsk, BelTA has learned.

Alexander Lukashenko stated: “Lithuania often raises the issue. I am okay with it. I recently told Lithuanians: how much time are we going to argue over the power plant? Let’s build it together and operate it as a Belarusian-Lithuanian power plant. It could provide Belarus and Lithuania with electricity. Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and other states if necessary. It is the cheapest source of electricity.”

The head of state said: “We are building the safest nuclear power plant. Many such reactors are being built all over the world. I know there is an agreement to continue building in European countries, including in Bulgaria. Egypt has demanded the construction of such a nuclear power plant.”

The Belarusian leader stressed: “We believe that the matter is politicized. Let’s sit together and resolve the issue. There is no need to make the entire world laugh. Lithuania and Belarus need this power plant.”

Alexander Lukashenko also reminded that the Ignalina nuclear power plant had worked in Lithuania for a long time. The nuclear power plant is still being decommissioned. “But we have never argued that this nuclear power plant is dangerous. Although we were receiving many negative processes from this old power plant. This power plant took water for cooling from Belarus. And waste water was dumped back into Belarus, too. We understood that time was needed to resolve the issue. We understand it now, too,” said Alexander Lukashenko.