In her welcome address to the participants of the conference, the President noted that nuclear energy can be an effective and environmentally friendly source of energy. However, any decision to embark on a nuclear power programme should be extremely well grounded and analyzed, and each country must consider possible implications to the region and, first of all, to immediate neighbors.
"The incidents at Chernobyl or Fukushima have taught us that nuclear safety is, by definition, a global challenge. Therefore, it is our common responsibility and the most urgent task to bring nuclear power production in each corner of the planet into compliance with the highest international safety standards," the President said.
According to the President, Lithuania encourages the IAEA member states to carry out, on a regular basis, comprehensive safety assessments of operational and planned nuclear power plants by using IAEA peer reviews and follow-up missions. Stress tests have already been carried out in the EU members and neighboring countries (Ukraine and Switzerland) seeking to ensure the nuclear safety to the maximum extent possible.
Lithuania has kept nuclear safety high on its EU Council Presidency agenda. Our country also commits itself to work for the responsible use of nuclear power when it becomes member of the UN Security Council in 2014.
