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Public hearing will have no influence on construction of nuclear power plant, activist says

A coming public hearing on the expected environmental impact of a nuclear power plant that is currently under construction in the Hrodna region will not have any influence on the progress of the controversial project, Dzmitry Kuchuk, deputy chairman of the Belarusian Party of the Greens, told BelaPAN.

The hearing, which is expected to be attended by Lithuanian citizens, will be held in the city of Astravets on August 17.

"The Belarusian government pays no attention to citizens of either Belarus or Lithuania," he said. "The hearing will not formally influence the construction of the facility, but the public will receive information, Lithuania will make some statements in the framework of the Espoo Convention, violations of the convention by Belarus will be discussed at the international level. And maybe then the international public will be able to influence in some way the construction of the plant. But we cherish no illusion that the construction project may be stopped after August 17, although we would like that to be the case. But we realize that it is impossible."