Belarus, Lithuania in 'nuclear' stand-off

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicus complains that Bealrus has failed to reply to Lithuania's questions over the construction of a nuclear power plant in Belarus.

"One can only guess that answers to those questions simply do not exist. Probably that's why such performance-like dialogue methods are being used. We don't need shows. We only need the compliance with Espoo Convention," Linkevicius is quoted by BNS news agency sa saying.

Linkevicius' statement sounds even more relevant as it was made one day after the Belarusian-Lithuanian public hearings in Astravets, Belarus on August 17. The Belarusian MFA reacted immediately to accuse Linkevicius' staff of sluggishness, saying that all the necessary information had been numerously sent to Lithuania and that email should be checked better. The MFA told Euroradio the same story, also advising to approach the Ministry of Natural Resources which drafts replies to all Lithuanian inquiries. Andrei Andreyeu, the head of State Environmental Expertise Department confirms the receipt of inquiries.

"Inquiries from Lithuania came at various periods of time beginning from 2010. Correspondingly, we replied at various periods of time. There were several rounds of such negotiations. On several occasions, we had to resend the same replies to duplicate the previous communications."

Officials at Belarusian Ministry of Natural Resources complain about the Lithuanians. Initially, the sides agreed to correspond via e-mail, but later Lithuania demanded that communication be maintained via diplomatic channels. This means more time and more red tape.

АBelarus officials are clearly tired of Lithuania's complaints. Therefore, Andreyeu says Belarus too can file complaints to Lithuania , which is closing down its nuclear power plant in Ignalina. Under the Espoo Convention, this procedure should be coordinated with Belarusians.

"Lithuania is obliged internationally to carry out a joint assessment with Belarus of affects after the closure of Ignalina power plant, Since no such assessment is made, we are likely to demand that Lithuania stop phasing the Ignalina station out," says Andreyeu.

According to Andreyeu, Lithuania has basically one concern: why will the nuclear power plant be built so close to Vilnius? All Belarus' replies to Lithuania can be checked at the webpage of the nuclear station construction administration. It has the Report on the assessment of environmental impact by the Belarusian nuclear power plant as well as the Open Letter by the Ministry of Natural Resources to the media with regard to the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant." The documents were even translated into the LIthuanian language. But it is hard indeed to find answers in those documents among numerous tables with figures, charts and notes that the project was approved by IAEA.

Russian nuclear physicist, engineer and environmental activist Andrey Azharovsky tells Euroradio that despite the assurances by the Belarusian side, Lithuania and Lithuanian foreign policy chief Linkevicius are right. Belarus violates the conditions in the EPOO Convention, signed and ratified in the early 1990s. Under the convention, Lithuanian representatives should participate actively in the process of approval of the Belarusian nuclear power plant.

"There is a resolution by the EPOO Implementation Committee, which firlmy ruled that Belarus violated the convention. It is pitty that Belarusian authorities are trying to pretend as if this never happened."

Azharouski reckons that the public hearings held in Astravets on August 17 should be regarded as the convention implementation. However, the experts admits that Belarus will build its nuclear station any way, and no international agreements would ban it.

"There is no direct ban for the nuclear power plant project in the Convention. This is a voluntary agreement between the countries that decided to make life on this planet better. They decided to discuss the projects that affect common interests together. The fact that Belarus is not implementing the Convention and is not going to do so is bad, but it will not lead to the ban."

Yet, there is one way for Lithuania to stop the construction of the nuclear power plant in Belarus, in the view of Azharovsky! It can officially announce that it will not but electricity from the station in Astravets. This way, the feasibility of the project will approach zero, prompting the Belarusian leadership to freeze the project for better times.