KYIV – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Saturday formally opened the country’s first nuclear power plant, a project sharply criticized by neighboring Lithuania.
Lukashenko said the launch of the Russian-built and -financed Astravyets plant “will serve as an impetus for attracting the most advanced technologies to the country, and innovative directions in science and education.” Lithuania has long opposed the plant, located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of its capital, Vilnius.