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President Dalia Grybauskaitė at the plenary session of the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit, which has on its agenda the discussion about the measures to ensure safe use of nuclear materials and the safety of nuclear facilities, underlined that stress tests should be obligatory to both – already existing and planned – nuclear power plants. This is a prerequisite for building confidence in nuclear energy, she said.

“Lithuania is acting in full compliance with all safety standards at both the Ignalina nuclear power plant, which is being decommissioned, and the planned Visaginas nuclear power plant, and we expect the same behavior from neighboring countries. Stress tests should be obligatory for all as nuclear accidents respect no borders,” the President emphasized.

Lithuania’s initiative that stress tests be carried out not only at nuclear power plants operating in the European Union, but also worldwide, receives support by President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso and most countries participating in the Nuclear Security Summit. Lithuania is concerned about the security of the nuclear power plants projected for construction in the neighboring Kaliningrad region and Belarus.

According to the President, the IAEA should have stronger mandate to monitor the safety of nuclear facilities. The site and infrastructure review missions of this international organization must be obligatory for all and the results should be made public.

The Nuclear Security Summit adopted a joint communiqué laying out national commitments in ensuring the nuclear safety as well as safe use and transportation of nuclear materials, with a particular focus on information sharing, the management of highly enriched uranium and plutonium, and on enhancing the IAEA’s role in implementing the nuclear security measures.

LITHUANIA WILL CONTRIBUTE TO COUNTERING NUCLEAR SMUGGLING

At the Nuclear Security Summit held to address the measures and initiatives for enhancing nuclear security, President Dalia Grybauskaitė introduced Lithuania's practical contribution to combating nuclear smuggling.

Following and supporting the US initiative to create a network of centers of excellence for nuclear security, this year such center will be established in Lithuania. In cooperation with the United States and other partners, the Center of Excellence for Nuclear Security, to be set up at the Border Guard School in Medininkai, will provide training sessions, prepare exercises and interaction plans for combating nuclear smuggling, and promote interinstitutional contacts. This center is expected to become regional.

“Lithuania as a nuclear state which plans the construction of a new NPP and has spent fuel storage facilities perfectly understands the importance of securing nuclear materials from terrorists. Therefore, Lithuania will continue to contribute to the efforts of international community to ensure safe use of nuclear materials,” the President underlined.

Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), during his meeting with the President officially promised his support in constructing and developing the Nuclear Security Center of Excellence in Lithuania. According to the President, it is an important sign of international confidence in Lithuania.

The agenda of the Nuclear Security Summit also includes the issues of nuclear safety. Lithuania’s aspiration to achieve that all nuclear energy developing countries around the world are bound by the highest safety requirements and that international organizations such as IEAE monitor and supervise the compliance with these requirements, receive the support from most participants of the Summit. It would serve to ensure that the nuclear power plants planned in Lithuania’s neighborhood – Kaliningrad region and Belarus – are obliged to meet international safety requirements. This matter has already been discussed during the President's meeting with the IAEA’s Director General in Seoul.

Leaders from 53 states and representatives of international organizations (IAEA, UN, EU, and Interpol) are attending the Nuclear Security Summit. Lithuania has been invited to such high-level event for the first time after assessing its contribution to, and huge long-term experience in, developing peaceful nuclear energy and ensuring the protection of nuclear materials and the sources of ionizing radiation.