News

At the opening ceremony of the Seminar on Meeting Challenges of Nuclear Security and Nonproliferation on 18 June in Vilnius, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Vytautas Leškevičius stressed that due to the world economy’s dynamics, the constantly growing needs for energy and geopolitical changes, it was necessary to take increasingly stringent measures to ensure nuclear security.

According to Lithuanian Foreign Vice-Minister, countries should pay political attention to this purpose. Leškevičius also noted that Lithuania’s incoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union was dedicating a lot of attention to nuclear security.

Ambassador of Japan to Lithuania Kazuko Shiraishi made an opening speech and stressed that Japan was engaged in the development of energy projects in Lithuania, and took interest in close cooperation in a broad array of nuclear security and nonproliferation areas.

The seminar was co-organized by the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry with partners from Japan and the U.S., and emphasized challenges of the development of nuclear projects in the region in the context of nuclear security and security, attention was drawn to the necessity of maintaining a development balance in nuclear security and peaceful use of nuclear energy, examples of initiatives of the European Union, Japan and the U.S. in this field were provided.

Experts from Lithuania, Japan, the U.S., the European Commission and Interpol gave speeches about the most recent nuclear security and non-proliferation challenges, shared best practices.

The workshop also discussed nuclear legislation in Lithuania, regulatory and institutional framework for nuclear activities. The participants were acquainted with activities of Lithuania’s Nuclear Security Center of Excellence in Medininkai, and drew up guidelines for further cooperation between Lithuania and Japan.

The event was attended by more than 50 Lithuanian and foreign experts, including representatives of the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of the Interior, the Radiation Protection Centre, the State Nuclear Safety Inspectorate, the Customs Department, the State Border Guard Service, the Police Department, the State Security Department, the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, the Visaginas Nuclear Power Plant, Interpol, the European Commission, Latvia, Japan, and the United States.

On 20 June in Medininkai, Japan’s Integrated Support Center for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Nuclear Security is organizing a workshop on radiation control at the state border of Lithuania.