Auštrevičius called the referendum scheduled for Belarus in February a constitutional coup, as the most important law of the neighboring country will be rewritten, paving the way for unconditional surrender to Russia.
“We may face a real and de facto establishment of Russian military forces in Belarus. In other words, that border of military blocs is the Lithuanian-Belarusian border. A completely different meaning or position of the Suwalki corridor will emerge after such changes, “the MEP emphasized. Petras Auštrevičius.
Don’t expect quick change
– Belarus plans to start the second power unit of the Astrava nuclear power plant in the first quarter of next year. Is the Sąjūdis still operating in this area before the Astrava nuclear power plant? What?
– First of all, we need to understand that our struggle or resistance to the construction and development of the Astrava nuclear power plant is a long-term process.
It is obviously not necessary to expect quick results and be very optimistic, knowing what the situation is in Belarus and how decisions are being made and a position is being formulated there.
Therefore, our intention is to fight for a long time and to form an appropriate public narrative both in Lithuania and throughout the European Union. Because we understand that this is a problem of more than one Lithuania and not only Lithuania. This is a problem for the whole of the European Union.
We very much hope that, frankly, the events of recent years in Belarus itself will perhaps ultimately provide sufficient knowledge and understanding of what is happening in Belarus, how decisions are being made there in general.
Because if there was any hope in the past that the Lukashenko regime would look at these issues more responsibly in one way or another, it seems to me that after the events of recent years, the brutal struggle against the people of their own country, there is no doubt about the decisions and nuclear safety.
Therefore, I do not think there has been a better time to shape this provision, to send that message to the European Union and to demand responsible decisions. And we need to do everything we can to formulate appropriate decisions.
I believe that even the Nuclear Safety Group, which was set up by the European Union and which has carried out so-called verification procedures at the Astrava nuclear power plant in the face of resistance and non-cooperation, and apparently even those so-called optimists who have tried to suggest that is possible and something can be achieved, the position is nevertheless changing towards a better understanding.
Photo by Scanpix Baltics / Astravo Nuclear Power Plant
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Therefore, maintaining positive pressure – public pressure, to submit our proposals not only to Brussels but also to the Lithuanian authorities is, in my opinion, a long-term process.
Because expecting something fast would probably not be appropriate in this situation, as we see in the political sphere.
– How do you assess the efforts of our politicians or authorities in this regard? Especially against this background, when it seems to be overshadowed by certain other crises, let’s say Belaruskalij’s main focus is on transit.
– Belarus poses many threats to us, this is a multi-threat situation.
But I would welcome it, especially the fact that we have nevertheless managed to take decisive steps to ensure energy security and independence from the East – much more than has been done before.
There used to be, you remember, investment in transmission lines and they have been strengthened and modernized, and now we are seeing a completely different approach and a completely different solution. What I personally and the anti-astral movement welcomes.
In fact, the decisions made by the Minister of Energy Dainius Kreivis and the further determination to strengthen energy independence or our real integration with the European networks are a key step.
It may have been harder for us to change the attitude of our Baltic neighbors. But here, too, I see some progress.
Because it was not really easy, but only administrative decisions could change that situation, because there was already too much of a commercial interest dimension and no one wanted to change very lucrative transactions.
We see them not only in energy, but in some other sectors as well as in relations with Belarus. Therefore, these things are very positive.
The next thing we need to do internally is to demand more responsibility from Belarus, raising this issue internationally, demanding financial compensation from Belarus for the additional investments that Lithuania is suffering.
I think we could have done more here.
I think we could have done more here.
– For example, what actions? Bearing in mind that there is no contact or dialogue with Minsk, and in the European Union, as you say, there are all sorts of opinions.
– It must be acknowledged that the European Union itself is very different and that the positive attitude in principle towards nuclear energy, as a form of energy or electricity generation, has even strengthened, I would say recently, in the light of that green course.
Because it is likely that nuclear energy will be classified as green energy.
This means that the existence of such states in the European Union means that they cannot fight nuclear energy in principle, believing that there cannot be a completely insane state that does not care about nuclear safety. What we are unfortunately seeing in Belarus, which is an absolutely unique case.
Reuters / Photo by Scanpix / European Union
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Explaining the attitude and handling of that state is an absolutely unique thing. Explaining this to Europe and the world in the end is, I would say, a huge task.
What we saw, by the way, with migration, until we were able to explain that it is instrumentalized migration for political purposes.
What are they doing with nuclear energy, instrumentalizing that energy pressure on Lithuania and the whole of Europe and forcing us to live in that fear. It takes time to explain this to the European partners, where the dialogue and, as we have seen, the approach of the Nuclear Safety Inspection Group have always prevailed.
I do not know how long this will take on our part, but we have no moral right to stop these actions and we must constantly demonstrate them.
This must be a constant issue on the agenda of both the Seimas and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.
Calls not to lose mind
– As you mentioned, Belarus is exerting some pressure, if we are talking about Lithuania, on several fronts: from the start of operation of the nuclear power plant to the unexpected action of the migrant crisis. What else can be expected from the seemingly unpredictable regime of Lukashenko?
– I think we will probably face two more aspects in the near future.
Looking at the so-called constitutional referendum scheduled for February, I would say it is a constitutional coup in Belarus.
As the constitution is fundamentally rewritten, it paves the way for a union, a complete unconditional surrender to Russian domination.
I will just remind you that Belarus calls itself a neutral, non-aligned state. It is this status that is already being abolished in the new constitution.
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