BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

04/10/2007

Belarus aims to participate in Lithuanian nuclear power project

Vilnius - Belarus wants to participate in the construction of a new nuclear power plant near the Lithuanian town of Ignalina, less than 25 kilometres from the Belarusian border, Baltic News Service reported on Thursday. "Belarus has the right to participate in this project, in which Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland are participating," said Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky, after his one-day visit to Vilnius.

At the same time, Lithuanian Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas said Belarus was Lithuania's friend when it came to energy issues.

"Perhaps we are sort of allies in this area since Belarus also is experiencing pressure from gas prices and problems with crude supplies," he told Lithuanian news radio on Thursday.

The two countries plan to continue negotiations on the level of economic ministers.

Both countries have run into problems with Russia over its supply of gas in the past.

Belarus faced problems from Russia over the supply of natural gas in August. Russian gas monopoly Gazprom forced Belarus to pay its debt and accept a hike in gas prices.

Last July Russia cut the supply of crude to Lithuania's Mazeikiu Nafta (Mazeikiai Oil) due to an alleged failure on a branch of Druzhba pipeline. The move forced the only Lithuanian oil refinery to deliver crude by sea.

Lithuania's planned 3,200- to 3,400-megawatt-capacity nuclear power plant near Ignalina is to built in cooperation with Latvia, Estonia and Poland by 2015.

The new plant will also replace the existing nuclear power facility that is due for a shutdown in 2009, as part of Lithuania's 2004 EU entry agreement.

Source:

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/118733.html