Lithuania: Foreign Ministry sends note to Belarus on nuclear plant

Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry has handed in a diplomatic note to Belarus following the launch of the second power unit of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant (BelAES) in Astravyets, BNS reports. Lithuania urged Belarus not to operate the second unit until all safety problems have been resolved. The Foreign Ministry noted that Belarus had failed to take into account the density and distribution of Lithuania’s population and the potential negative cross-border environmental impact of the nuclear plant. Also, Belarus has failed to implement the recommendations of the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group’s (ENSREG) experts, the ministry stated. Belarus plans to start the commercial operation of the nuclear plant’s second unit in October 2023.