Lithuanian President Is Ready For Dialogue With Minsk, But Promises Tough Stance On BelNPP

Gitanas Nauseda announced the principal position of Vilnius on Astravets NPP.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says he is ready to improve relations with Belarus, but promises to adhere to a firm position on blocking the import of electrical energy from the Belarusian NPP (BelNPP) in Astravets, Delfi informs.

According to the President, Belarus is building a plant near the Lithuanian border without observing the safety requirements, so it poses a threat to the residents of Lithuania. "I am convinced that we should not buy electric power from a power plant built without safety requirements, as it's a threat to our residents, it's a threat to our safety," - Nauseda said to reporters in Warsaw on Tuesday night.

"But if it is possible to improve relations with this component, this factor, I am ready to do it," the president added. He said he hadn't decided yet whether the dialogue with Belarus could be held at the highest level. According to the President, now Lithuania is still thinking which of the representatives of the Belarusian authorities to invite to the ceremony of reburial of the remains of the rioters of 1863-1864, scheduled for autumn in Vilnius.

"Should it be the visit of the top-level leader, let us think about it more, and I think that we will soon be able to answer your question," - Nauseda said to the BNS question.

According to Nauseda, relations with Belarus were an important topic for discussion at his meetings with Polish President Andrzej Duda, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and leader of the ruling party Jaroslaw Kaczynski.