In Q1 2009 Belarus and Russia plan to complete preparations and sign an intergovernmental treaty on peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The arrangement was made during negotiations between First Vice Premier of Belarus Vladimir Semashko and Director General of the State Corporation for Nuclear Energy Rosatom Sergei Kirienko in Minsk on January 21. The information was released by press secretary of the Belarusian Energy Ministry Lyudmila Zenkovich. The agreement will enable the parties to start direct negotiations about the turn-key construction of Belarus’ first nuclear power plant. During the negotiations First Vice Premier of Belarus Vladimir Semashko remarked, the Belarusian leadership is ready to implement the nuclear power plant project, which general contractor will be Atomstroyexport. According to the minutes of the meeting, the parties agreed that the intergovernmental agreement concerning the construction of the atomic station should be worked out, agreed and inked this year. Belarus plans to build a 2,000 MW nuclear power plant. The first energy unit is supposed to be commissioned in 2016, the second one — 2018. The power plant will be built at the Ostrovets site in the Grodno oblast.

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