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Yaroslav Neverovich spoke after the head of state addressed Charles Michel, President of the European Council (EC), about the Astrava nuclear power plant.
“This is an ongoing process, so to speak, the President has already spoken to the President-in-Office of the Council about these issues. Now we urge you to become even more involved in that political process, a political assessment of what is happening.” J. Neverovičius told News Radio on Tuesday.
He stated that the successful participation of the European Commission (EC) at the “technical level” is very important to ensure the safety of the power plant being built near the border with Lithuania, but more attention from the EU is needed to the power station.
“There is a desire to involve the President of the Council in the process, to ensure political evaluation. As a result, perhaps we should make decisions about the EU’s participation in evaluating whether this project is working safely or whether the changes that being carried out meet the requirements that have been made. In other words, finding such practical solutions can already improve the security situation in the first place. (…) Engaging the entire European Union in solving that big problem ” , explained the President’s adviser.
According to him, Lithuania also draws the EU’s attention to the political processes in Belarus in the lead-up to the country’s presidential elections.
“Our position is unequivocal that the elections must be democratic, the government must stop persecuting competitors in the elections, and the Astrava power plant cannot be closed until all nuclear safety requirements are met.” Otherwise, it is difficult to talk about normal relations and such complete cooperation with the Republic of Belarus, “summarized J. Neverovičius.
The presidency announced on Monday that President G. Nausėda had asked the EVS president to get involved in the security problem of the Astravas nuclear power plant.
“I ask you to personally participate at the highest political level and to take immediate steps to protect the safety and well-being of EU citizens,” Nausėda wrote in the letter.
The President says Belarus, along with Russia, ignores the concerns of experts from the EC, EU Member States and the European Group of Nuclear Safety Regulators (ENSREG) about the lack of transparency of the Astrava NPP project and many violations of nuclear safety standards.
The nuclear fuel has already been delivered to the power plant, and is being prepared for commissioning in August.
According to the head of state, a clear political signal needs to be sent to Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, urging him not to start operating the Astrava nuclear power plant until the security issues have been resolved and the recommendations of the EU stress tests. At the same time, daily monitoring of the security situation and the implementation of security measures must be ensured, including regular visits by EU experts to the Astravo nuclear power plant.
Lithuania is the biggest critic of the power plant under construction in Belarus and is determined to boycott its access to the electricity market. Minsk rejects Vilnius’s allegations of non-compliance with security requirements.
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