Minsk expects to draw Lithuania into dialogue on nuclear power, but without significant concessions

Lithuania and Belarus have clashed again over the evaluation of the nuclear power plant construction in Belarusian Ostovec. The Lithuanian authorities referred to the lack of information about the construction of the nuclear power plant in Ostrovets and threatened to block the electricity supply to the European market. In turn, the Belarusian authorities sought to soften the attitude of the Lithuanian side regarding the Belarusian NPP construction due to the plans to export electricity to the Baltic countries and Poland. Belarus is expecting electricity surplus already in 2018, after the first reactor’s commissioning. Minsk anticipates to neutralize Vilnius by engaging in a dialogue. In addition, there is no consolidated position regarding the NPP construction in Belarus in the Baltic Sea basin countries, in particular, Finland took a different stance on it.