At a working meeting of the Prime Ministers of Belarus and Lithuania they
discussed topical issues of bilateral cooperation, including in the areas of
energy, transport and transit. The head of the Lithuanian Cabinet Gediminas
Kirkilas called the meeting in Druskininkai "very friendly".
At the meeting with his Lithuanian counterpart, the Belarusian Prime
Minister Sergei Sidorsky, in particular, noted that last year’s trade turnover
between the neighboring countries reached a billion dollars. In 2008, it had
already increased by 30-40 per cent. In the past half a year 9 million tons of
Belarusian goods, including more than 2 million tons of potash fertilizer,
petroleum products, steel and wood products was transported through Lithuania. A quarter
of the Kaliningrad port goods
turnover comprises of Belarusian goods.
Sergei Sidorsky stressed that favourable conditions for transport
carriers were established in Belarus. In
general, the Republic intends to become one of the thirty countries with the
most attractive investment climates.
While answering questions of Lithuanian journalists, the Prime Minister
noted that Belarus planned to
build the most modern nuclear power plant. Its first power unit for production
of 1 thousand megawatts will be put into effect by 2015, as it turns out the
electricity produced can be supplied to Lithuania.
Gediminas Kirkilas said that such plans were the right step:
“Why Belarus should fall
out of context, when the whole Europe is
returning to this type of energy. Indeed, there is a lack of electricity in Belarus itself however
the problem of climate change has no borders, it disregards governmental regimes
or anything of the sort. This will be a common problem for all. I think that Belarus is making
the right moves”.
Lithuania is
preparing to stop the current Ignalina plant and is discussing the construction
of a new nuclear power plant. The neighbouring countries are talking about the
construction of a nuclear power plant in the Kaliningrad region and
in Belarus. The new
Lithuanian nuclear power plant in Visaginas will start operating in 2018 or
later. Belarus is interested
in this project, for example, Belarusian specialists would like to take part in
construction.
Moreover, the future plant to be constructed by Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland, will be
built by the LakeDrukshay (oz. Drisvyaty
on the Belarusian side), which is situate on both Lithuanian and on the
Belarusian territory. In this regard Belarus stressed
the importance of monitoring of the environmental situation in the region.
“Belarusians and Lithuanians are neighbors, and a dialogue between us is
inevitable”, said Sergei Sidorsky. “At the recent meeting in Vilnius we have
agreed with the Lithuanian Prime Minister to hold regular meetings. In this
regard, I invited the Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania
Gediminas Kirkilas to visit Minsk in October
this year”.
