Baltic States – CIS, Energy, EU – Baltic States, Legislation, Lithuania, Nuclear power plant

Algirdas Butkevicius and Jean-Claude Juncker. Photo: lrv.lt

"We need a common approach and the requirements that Lithuania is raising have to be raised by the European Union as a whole, because we need as many voices and as much unity as possible to send the message that this is a sensitive issue and that rules must be followed," Butkevicius told BNS by telephone from Brussels.

"I think time will show," he said when asked if he expected that the European Commission would toughen its tone on the Astravyets plant.

According to Butkevicius, the European Commission president understands that the project is not a problem solely for Lithuania.

Vilnius is the strongest critic of the Astravyets project, saying that Belarus fails to ensure safety at the plant that is being built just 20 kilometers from the border and 50 kilometers from the Lithuanian capital. Minsk rejects Lithuania's criticism, saying that it will ensure the highest safety standards at the facility.