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MINSK, 22 June (BelTA) – Belarus has invited Lithuanian specialists to continue consultations about the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant in July, BelTA learned from Marina Filipyuk, Head of the International Cooperation Department of the Belarusian Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry, who commented on results of Belarusian-Lithuanian consultations that took place in Vilnius on 21-22 June to discuss the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant.

The official explained: “At the end of the day we invited Lithuanian colleagues to come to Belarus to continue the dialogue of experts. We will send an official invitation soon.”

As a result of the consultations to be held in late July 2016 a joint Belarusian-Lithuanian report is supposed to be submitted to the Implementation Committee of the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention). The report will be discussed during the 36^th session of the Committee in September 2016. “We are doing everything to get the report ready. We’ve suggested discussing the format of creating the report to Lithuania but have received no response so far. We hope that Lithuanian specialists will arrive in Belarus in July and we will be able to fulfill recommendations of the Espoo Convention Implementation Committee on time,” stated Marina Filipyuk.

Apart from that, during the consultations in Vilnius the Lithuanian side suggested that Belarus should revise or add to the environmental impact assessment report. “The Belarusian side is ready to work together with Lithuania in nuclear energy matters within the framework of the efforts to create a joint agency for post-project analysis and possibly other aspects of the project just the way the Espoo Convention Implementation Committee has recommended,” stressed the official.

Belarus provided detailed information about the aspects of the Belarusian nuclear power plant construction project that Lithuania was interested in. “The consultations confirmed that face-to-face discussions by science and technology experts specializing in nuclear energy matters are justified and serve interests of both countries. The discussion demonstrated that while Lithuania is concerned about the Belarusian nuclear power plant construction project, Belarus has several questions left unanswered about Lithuanian research and evaluation of Lithuanian nuclear energy installations. Without a doubt we don’t need any double standards in matters concerning the safety of nuclear energy installations,” noted Marina Filipyuk.

The Head of the International Cooperation Department of the Belarusian Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry said the Belarusian side expects Lithuanian colleagues to produce concrete questions concerning the Belarusian nuclear power plant project. “During the consultations the responses of the Lithuanian side to the information we provided went along the lines of ‘we don’t understand’ and ‘we have doubts’. This is why we asked Lithuania to provide information about the methods Lithuanian experts used with regard to their own nuclear energy installations. It will allow us to better understand doubts of the colleagues and continue the dialogue to find common ground in relation to the Belarusian nuclear power plant,” concluded Marina Filipyuk.

BelTA reported earlier that Belarusian and Lithuanian experts met in Vilnius on 21-22 June 2016 for the sake of bilateral consultations that focused on the Belarusian nuclear power plant construction project. The meeting took place as a result of the recommendations expressed during the 35th session of the Implementation Committee of the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention) in March 2016. During the consultations the Belarusian side was represented by over 20 specialists of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry, the Energy Ministry, and other central government agencies.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is a project to build an AES-2006 type nuclear power plant 18km away from Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The BelNPP will have two power-generating units with the total output capacity of up to 2,400MW (2x1,200MW). In line with the general contract for building the nuclear power plant the first power-generating unit is scheduled for commissioning in 2018, with the second one to go online in 2020.