Nuclear power can also be a long-term solution for the difficult problems of depleted fossil energy resources, climate change and sustainable development. Mr. President, The public opinion in Lithuania on nuclear power changes as well. We are an environment-conscious society. Going back to the years when our independence movement emerged, political changes were largely brought about by environmental concerns that Lithuanian people had during the occupation. Contention about the existence of the nuclear power plant in our environmentally vulnerable country, however, arises from broader rethinking of our Energy strategy, in light of European integration, rather than environmental or safety concerns of the Lithuanian people.
Nuclear power is one of the most environmentally friendly sources of energy.
It has allowed us and other countries to sign the Kyoto Protocol without detrimental commitments against industrial development. I dare say that there would have been no prospect of preserving the global climate without nuclear energy, for it would have been at the expense of sustainable development. As a party to the Convention on Nuclear Safety, Lithuania has followed with interest the scrutiny of national reports on safety. Implementation of the Convention should serve as an objective factor in assessments of nuclear safety in a particular country. It is encouraging that no violations of the Convention were found during the first review meeting in 1999.