Events

MINSK, 6 October (BelTA) – Discussions surrounding the Belarusian nuclear power plant (BelNPP) are largely politicized and artificially created, Belarus’ Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said at the closing of the first conference of honorary consuls of Belarus on 6 October, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the minister, Belarus is proud of its new economic areas - nuclear energy, space research, biochemical and information technologies. The first unit of the country’s first nuclear power plant will be commissioned in 2019. "There are a lot of discussions around this topic. They are largely politicized and artificially created. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that we, remembering well what we experienced in 1986 because of the Chernobyl disaster, are interested in building this plant in compliance with the world’s highest safety standards and, first of all, the IAEA standards,” Vladimir Makei said.

"Today, no matter what insinuations are launched against the Belarusian nuclear power plant, primarily from the politically biased circles of Lithuania, the boycott of the plant will not work, even from the closest allies of Vilnius. I would like you to understand that we are not going to violate our international nuclear energy development commitments. We, as a Chernobyl-hit country, are extremely interested in making this plant maximum safe,” the minister said.

Vladimir Makei assured that Belarus has cooperated and will continue its close cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency. "We invited several IAEA missions here. They visited the plant, including the head of the IAEA, met with Belarusian experts. We fulfilled all the requirements and obligations we undertook as part of the relevant international agreements. We joined the requirements of the European Commission to conduct stress tests of the nuclear power plant. Today we are working together with the European Commission in analyzing the results of these stress tests,” the minister said.

“I would like to assure you once again that we do not try to avoid the discussion of these issues. We are interested in this plant to be built in line with the world's safest standards,” Vladimir Makei said. “We, as official representatives of Belarus, take part in various international forums and events and provide all necessary explanations. Unfortunately our neighbors, our partners are trying to politicize this issue," he added.

"Moreover, the reactor we are building is absolutely reliable, according to experts of many countries. Similar plants are in a number of EU states. Bulgaria and Hungary are going to build a similar plant, and Finland, too. As far as I know, Russia is going to build similar plants in the Middle East, and Turkey,” the Belarusian minister of foreign affairs said.