The construction of a nuclear power plant will drive down electricity generation costs in Belarus, Mikalay Hrusha, director of the energy ministry's Nuclear Power Department, told reporters in Minsk on April 22. There is a possibility that electricity rates will fall for both households and industrial enterprises after the nuclear power plant is put into operation, he said. Sergei Boyarkin, of Russia's Rosatom state corporation, put down Lithuania's criticism of Belarus' nuclear power project to competition. "The Lithuanians today don't even have a design [of their new nuclear power plant], they are lagging far behind, that's why they're trying to impede the Belarusian project by any means," he said. He suggested that Belarus should use the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to iron out differences with Lithuania over the project. According to Mr. Boyarkin, Rosatom strictly follows domestic and international standards and the IAEA's standards while building nuclear power plants. "The nuclear plant's safety is ensured at the stage of its designing, putting into operation, equipment adjustment and personnel training. All these things are provided for by our contract with the Belarusian side," he said.