Nuclear safety should remain free from political mood swings, Belarusian Deputy Energy Minister Mikhail Mikhadyuk said during the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conference on Monday, the Belarusian state-owned news agency BelTA reports.
“Nuclear safety should remain [...] free from any political mood swings,” said Mikhadyk. “We hope that international cooperation will be built on the basis of respecting the sovereign right of nations to develop their own nuclear energy industry”.
Lithuania has vehemently opposed the Belarusian nuclear plant under construction 50 kilometers from Vilnius, which it deems to be unsafe. The country has also outlawed electricity imports from Belarus once it launches the first reaction in late 2019.
Vilnius has previously called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to take action to ensure that Belarus does not launch its Astravyets nuclear plant until all of its safety issues have been solved.
Read more: Lithuanian government purchasing 4m iodine pills in preparation for Belarus NPP launch
In May 2019, a joint letter signed by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius and Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas expressed their concern over Belarus' failure to carry out the recommendations of the IAEA, parties to the Espoo Convention and international experts,
Read more: Belarus’ nuclear ambitions cut into Baltic unity as old scars reopen between Vilnius and Riga
