BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

15/01/2008

Belarus makes final decision to build nuclear power plant

MINSK, January 15 (Itar-Tass) -- The Belarusian Security Council has made the final political decision to build a nuclear power plant, a source at the presidential press office told Itar-Tass on Tuesday.

The decision was made at the meeting chaired by President Alexander Lukashenko. A draft resolution to that effect will be submitted to the president by the end of January.

Lukashenko called for boosting the construction of the nuclear power plant. "The government should work very seriously. A delay means additional expenditures. We should start working and launch the project already this year. The power plant must be built within a short time," he said.

The nuclear power plant is very important for Belarus, as it is the question of security, he said. "Several hundreds of nuclear power plants have been built worldwide, so there is nothing extraordinary about the construction of a nuclear power plant in Belarus," the president said.

The project will be strictly controlled, and the quality of works must be high, he said. "Many have taken an interest in the prospective Belarusian nuclear power plant. We have received many offers from prospective sponsors from the Middle East to Europe. The government and the National Bank will choose the best," Lukashenko said.

It is also necessary to start training Belarusian personnel, who will service the nuclear power plant. "When the power plant is ready, we must have qualified labor force. In the future, Belarusian experts should be able to train personnel for other countries," he said.

The public understands the need for building the nuclear power plant, the president said. "People know that Belarus has no alternative to the nuclear power plant," he noted.

Source:

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=12258438&PageNum=0