The head of the Lithuanian delegation, Deputy Minister of Energy Albinas Zananavičius, who participated in the ministerial-level nuclear security conference "Shaping the Future" in Vienna, Austria, emphasized the importance of nuclear security in a changing world. "The international nuclear security situation has deteriorated dramatically in recent years. Russia's unprovoked aggressive war against Ukraine poses an unprecedented threat to nuclear security with potentially enormous consequences for the entire world. In such a situation, we cannot be certain that nuclear materials will not fall into the wrong hands and be used for malicious purposes. We therefore call on Russia to immediately stop its illegal invasion and withdraw from the seized Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the entire territory of Ukraine," said the Deputy Minister while addressing conference participants. He also called on the entire international community to maintain due vigilance and implement appropriate control measures.
The Deputy Minister also noted the role of the Lithuanian Nuclear Security Centre of Excellence, which has been operating in Lithuania since 2012, in disseminating good Lithuanian practices to prevent threats to nuclear security. The importance of cooperation between Lithuanian institutions and the IAEA, INTERPOL, and other international organizations in raising Lithuania's institutional capacity and the competencies of officials was also highlighted.
In the margins of the conference, the Deputy Minister also met with the U.S. and Ukrainian national delegations.
The Ministerial Nuclear Security Conference is held every four years and is dedicated to high-level political discussions on how to strengthen national nuclear security regimes, increase international cooperation, and thus contribute to global nuclear security.
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