Comment by Spokesperson of Belarusian Foreign Ministry R.Varankou on Incident at Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant

The media have circulated information regarding a fire that occurred on 25 November of this year at the primary radioactive waste treatment complex of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant.

It is presumed that this incident was connected with decontamination work involving a shot-blasting unit used for processing radioactive waste.

Despite the existing intergovernmental agreement, the agreements between the relevant regulators of the two countries in the field of safety, as well as the arrangements between emergency response authorities on the prompt notification of a nuclear accident and the exchange of information on nuclear installations and nuclear-related activities, no official information about this incident has been received to date.

The absence of such information appears particularly cynical against the backdrop of Lithuania’s constant demands for so-called “transparency” with regard to the Belarusian NPP. We are witnessing classic double standards: maximum demands on others over imaginary situations, and complete lack of responsibility when it comes to themselves.

In a spirit of goodwill, as prescribed by bilateral commitments, the Belarusian Ministry for Emergency Situations promptly sent a proposal to its Lithuanian counterparts offering the necessary assistance from Belarusian specialists. However, no response has been received.

This case is not an isolated oversight, but a manifestation of an entrenched practice. The Lithuanian side is demonstrating systemic disregard for its international obligations, which was also recently evident in the closure of border checkpoints along the Belarusian–Lithuanian border.

We demand that Lithuania immediately provide full information on the incident at the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant and strictly comply with all its obligations.

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