Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed that the first power unit of the Belarusian NPP will be launched at the end of 2019. He was speaking at the session of the 5th Forum of the Regions of Russia and Belarus.

"To date the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant is our largest joint project. The first unit will be launched in late 2019, and the entire plant will be commissioned in 2020," the Russian leader said.

At the same time, Putin joked that Russia is doing this projects in spite of its own business interests.

"We are doing it to the detriment of our interests, instead of supplying gas we are building a nuclear power plant," the Russian leader said.

Putin noted that the commissioning of this facility would significantly improve the situation with energy supply, create additional export opportunities and, in general, have a positive effect on the economy of Belarus.

He added that the project of the NPP also envisages the construction of a center for nuclear technologies in Belarus. "We are not just building industrial facilities, which is very important; we are creating an entire industry," he noted.

The first nuclear power plant in Belarus is being built with the use of Russian technologies near the town of Ostrovets in the Grodno region. It will consist of two power units with the total capacity of 2,400-megawatt. Atomstroiexport, part of Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom, is the general contractor for the construction of the nuclear power plant.