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Statement of the Republic of Lithuania at the Eleventh Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Main Committee III on Monday, 4 May 2026.

Thank you, Mr. Chair,

Congratulations on your assumption of the chairmanship of Main Committee III. Please count on full support of my delegation.

Lithuania aligns itself with the statement of the European Union. In my national capacity, I would like to underscore the following points.

Mr. Chair,

Lithuania’s reaffirms its full support for the inalienable right of NPT States Parties to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

As new applications of nuclear energy continue to emerge ranging from healthcare, food safety, and water management to climate action, environmental and cultural heritage protection, and, of course, energy security, the sustainable implementation of the third pillar of the NPT has become more important than ever. In this context we support IAEA’s efforts including through Technical Cooperation Programme and the Peaceful Uses Initiative.

Mr. Chair,

Regrettably, this right enshrined in NPT Article IV is aggressively denied to Ukraine by Russia.

Lithuania condemns in the strongest terms the Russia’s ongoing, unjustified, and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, including the unlawful seizure and continued occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).

For more than four years, this occupation has posed grave and persistent risks to nuclear safety and security across the region. the militarization of ZNPP documented by the IAEA, is incompatible with safe nuclear operations, while the unlawful detention and intimidation of Ukrainian personnel violate international humanitarian law and undermine nuclear safety. Repeated attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have led to losses of off‑site power at the ZNPP, significantly increasing the risk of a nuclear accident with catastrophic consequences beyond Ukraine. In these circumstances, Lithuania firmly rejects any attempt to restart the reactors, which would contradict decisions of the IAEA Board of Governors.

On the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster, we are also alarmed by damage to the New Safe Confinement following a Russian drone attack in February 2025, with restoration costs estimated at around 500 million euros, borne by the international community.

Mr. Chair,

Lithuania strongly supports the continued presence of the IAEA in Ukraine and commends the courage and professionalism of both IAEA’s and Ukrainian personnel working under extremely difficult and dangerous conditions. We also welcome the sustained attention of the IAEA Board of Governors, including the resolution adopted in March this year. As a member of the Board, Lithuania remains ready to contribute actively to this work. We urge Russia immediately cease all military activities affecting nuclear and energy infrastructure, fully demilitarize and withdraw from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and restore full control to the competent Ukrainian authorities. Russia must ensure the safety of Ukrainian personnel, fully cooperate with the IAEA, and take responsibility for all damage caused, including at the Chornobyl site.

Mr. Chair,

Belarus, Russia’s accomplice in its aggression against Ukraine, has constructed and commissioned the Astravets Nuclear Power Plant just 40 kilometers/25 miles from Lithuania’s densely populated capital, Vilnius.

The site was selected without full compliance with modern international safety standards, and key modules of the IAEA’s Site and External Events Design (SEED) mission were excluded, raising fundamental safety concerns from the outset. Lithuania has repeatedly highlighted persistent lack of transparency from Belarus, selective implementation of safety requirements, frequent unplanned shutdowns, and recurring equipment failures.

Statements on a possible third reactor and additional nuclear‑related facilities, including a radioactive waste storage facility, have further exacerbated these concerns.

Mr. Chair,

In these challenging times, ensuring safe and secure nuclear operations is more important than ever. Nuclear safety must never be instrumentalised or used as a tool of coercion.

We recall that Lithuania made a difficult but responsible decision to shut down the unsafe Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, which operated Soviet‑era RBMK reactors. As of 2022, Lithuania no longer has nuclear installations under the Nuclear Safety Convention, since last container of spent nuclear fuel from the Ignalina plant was removed and safely transferred to secure storage facilities. This decision reflects Lithuania’s commitment to nuclear safety and responsible risk management.

 Lithuania is currently evaluating the feasibility of advanced small modular reactors (SMRs) for civilian use. Based on the results of the analysis and in full alignment of international nuclear safety and security conventions and instruments, Lithuania will define a potential strategy for SMR technology, laying the groundwork for the development of new nuclear power projects.

Mr. Chair,

As States Parties to the NPT, we share a collective responsibility to sustain trust in the peaceful use of nuclear technologies through strict adherence to safety, security, and safeguards.  Lithuania reaffirms its full support for the IAEA’s independent and impartial mandate.

I thank you.