BNS: Lithuania not looking to follow Slovakian example says PM
VILNIUS, Jan 12, BNS - Lithuania isn't looking to follow the example of Slovakia, which plans to relaunch operation of the nuclear plant closed down in 2008, on Monday said Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius.
"We understand the arguments employed by the Slovakian government when making this decision. We hope the European Commission (EC) and the Slovakian government will be find rational solutions to the pressing energy situation at hand", Kubilius is quoted in a governmental press service statement.
Lithuania will closely follow the situation and partake in finding solutions, said Kubilius, noting that all possible measures must be applied together with the European Union (EU) in view of preventing Lithuania from being left in a year with a similar dilemma as that facing Slovakia today.
Bratislava in the beginning of Jan announced plans to relaunch operation of the recently closed down Bohunice nuclear power plant amid Russia's move to cut gas transit to Europe via Ukraine. Decommissioning of the plant was among Slovakia's EU accession conditions.
Lithuania has to decommission by the beginning of 2010 its Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) in congruence with undertaken commitments to the EU. The country's dependence on Russian gas will skyrocket after the said closure.
