Lukashenko did not fly to Brussels due to the conflict with Lithuania
The signing of an agreement between the European Union and Belarus on cooperation priorities is being slowed down due to the position of Lithuania, which is blocking this decision in order to create a negative background around the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant.
European Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and EU Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn stated this at a conference in Brussels dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership.
“We are now discussing with partner countries how to solve the problem that has arisen between Lithuania and Belarus. But we also understand that the priorities of the partnership are what everyone is interested in, and I hope that a common solution can be found,” Khan said.
As Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei made clear, it was precisely because of this that Alexander Lukashenko did not come to Brussels.
“When the time comes, the president will come. For now, some restrictions remain in the development of our relations. We do not see that within the framework of current activities we would receive a XNUMX% return. The president’s visit should be as productive as possible, as eventful as possible,” said Makey.
The conclusion of an agreement on cooperation priorities between the EU and Belarus is a legal document regulating, for example, financial assistance for Minsk under EU programs. The Belarusian leadership may be interested in receiving such tranches, given the disputes with Moscow over the terms of energy supplies. The document should have been approved back in 2017.
Lithuania criticizes the project of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, which is being built with Russian support near the city of Ostrovets, Grodno region. The station will be launched this fall.
Officially, the Lithuanian authorities explain their negative position with security considerations.
However, the IAEA gave a positive conclusion on the Belarusian NPP.
In fact, the Lithuanian boycott is explained by the fact that Russia provides financial and technical support to the project: it provided a loan for construction, sent specialists and is ready to dispose of spent fuel.
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