Lithuania, Poland delay signing atomic plant accord until November

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Lithuania and Poland have postponed signing an agreement on a new nuclear power plant at least until November, Lithuania's Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas said on Wednesday.

"Energy companies are currently negotiating the terms and the agreement between government leaders may be signed in November," he said.

Last week, Kirkilas said he hoped the agreement would be signed this week during the international security forum held in the Lithuanian capital.

However, last week after Polish Economy Minister Piotr Wozniak threatened that his country might stall the bilateral energy projects if it had not received what it wanted.

Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland are planning to build a 3,200 to 3,400-megawatt-capacity nuclear power plant near Ignalina in Lithuania to offset their dependence on Russian energy sources.

It is the second time the final step in the agreement on the construction of the new nuclear power plant has been delayed because of Poland's problems.

In July, a government crisis in Poland prevented Poland's Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynskifrom travelling to Vilnius to sign an accord.

This time, Kaczynski is battling for power against the opposition before October 21 parliamentary elections.

Lithuanian media reported that Ukraine and possibly Belarus may be interested in participating in this project.

Poland is unhappy with Lithuania's controversial bid to control a larger 34-per-cent stake in the future Ignalina nuclear power station.

The remaining Baltic region partners in the venture, Estonia, Latvia and Poland, would each hold a 22-per-cent stake.

Poland has not yet made a final choice on whether to participate in the project.

The new power plant is also to replace the existing nuclear power facility that is due for a shutdown in 2009 as part of Lithuania's 2004 EU entry agreement. dpa tap wjh