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Lukashenka shrugs off concerns about safety of Belarusian nuclear power plant

Alyaksandr Lukashenka on Thursday dismissed concerns about the safety of Belarus' first-ever nuclear power plant that is under construction in the Hrodna region.

"This is an extremely large-scale project that is liked not by everyone," the government's news agency BelTA quoted him as saying at a meeting with the heads of Belarusian diplomatic missions. "They try to put pressure on us both through bilateral contacts and within international organizations."

Mr. Lukashenka stressed that Belarus had fulfilled all international procedures required for the construction of the facility and described the plant as safe.

He ordered the foreign and environmental protection ministries to take efforts to make critics drop their "far-fetched" concerns.

According to Mr. Lukashenka, the project will lead to the creation of a new economic sector in Belarus.

Mr. Lukashenka also told the government to devote attention to projects involving renewable energy sources. Belarus can receive foreign funding for such projects, he said. // BelaPAN