Lithuania’s nuclear regulator Vatesi has called upon members of the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (Ensreg) to urge Belarus to respond to all questions from members of a peer review team without delay and to “resolve all indicated safety issues” related to the Belarusian nuclear power station.

Vatesi’s head, Michail Demčenko, told NucNet in an emailed statement that at a plenary meeting of Ensreg on 9 and 10 November Lithuania had asked for the commissioning of the two Russian-supplied VVER plants at the Belarusian station to be suspended until all safety issues are resolved.

Belarusian-1 was connected to Belarus’ power grid and started producing electricity earlier this month, but the energy ministry said it has since been taken offline to replace some of its equipment.