Lithuania’s stance on Belarus’ NPP project is regrettable

The actions of Lithuanian officials regarding the construction of the nuclear power plant in Ostrovets deserve regret, Deputy Chair of the Permanent Commission for Labor and Social Affairs of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Zinaida Mandrovskaya told BelTA.

“Lithuania’s attitude is regrettable,” the MP said commenting on non-attendance of Lithuania’s officials at the recent public hearings. She noted: “You cannot choose your neighbors; you have to be friends with them. We will always be here and they have to accept it”.

Zinaida Mandrovskaya stated that the competition between countries is not always fair. In her words, environmental matters are just the exterior, while in reality Lithuania’s considerations are underpinned by economic and political reasons.

The MP underlined that Belarus prepared a substantial environmental impact assessment report: “I have looked it through several times. When it comes to water resources, including the Vilia, every minute detail is explored and explained”. At the same time, it is known that Lithuania had plans to construct its own nuclear power plant which buffer zone would cover the territory of Belarus. Zinaida Mandrovskaya noted that even two economic operators cannot have overlapping buffer zones, while here the interests of another state were involved.

The MP added: “The construction of the nuclear power plant is not our whim, but a necessity. I think Lithuania realizes the importance of this project for Belarus”. Zinaida Mandrovskaya emphasized that the recent public hearings provided extensive answers to all the questions.