Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 23 March (BelTA) – Belarus is open to dialogue with the EU on all matters related to the construction of the nuclear power plant, Belarus’ Deputy Energy Minister Mikhail Mikhadyuk said in an interview with New Europe, BelTA has learned.

“Belarus is working on a national report on stress tests, which will be presented to the public and the European Commission, to prove that the nuclear utility is built in accordance with top safety standards,” Mikhail Mikhadyuk said.

When asked which measures Belarus is going to take to convince Lithuania of the safety of the NPP project, Mikhail Mikhadyuk stressed that Belarus, as no other country, is interested in the safety and reliability of its nuclear power plant.

“We believe that peaceful atom is an economically sound and environmentally friendly source of energy. However, it should be available for use only if there is a high level of safety at every stage of operation of the nuclear power plant. Nuclear security is the number one priority for us,” he said.

The deputy minister stated that last year Belarus hosted an EC delegation that also paid a visit to the BelNPP construction site in Ostrovets. “We are committed to ensuring openness and transparency of the construction process in order to convince all the stakeholders of its safety and reliability,” he stressed.

A Belarusian delegation led by Belarus’ Deputy Energy Minister Mikhail Mikhadyuk met with representatives of the European Commission in Luxembourg on 13-14 March. The parties discussed a number of issues related to the construction of the nuclear power plant in Belarus, the results of the stress tests conducted at the plant taking into account the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group’s (ENSREG) specifications.