Baltics to cooperate on Belarus nuclear power tax

Baltics to cooperate on Belarus nuclear power tax: * Belarus nuclear plant near Vilnius seen as safety risk* Lithuania wants Baltic boycott of Belarus nuclear power* Says fellow Baltic countries agree to a tax on Belaruspower* Lithuania imports 77 percent of its power, third ofimports comefrom Russia and BelarusVILNIUS, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Lithuania is seeking regionalaction to tax or block all electricity imports from Belarus,where Russia is building a nuclear plant close to the border andLithuanian capital Vilnius.Lithuania sees the Astravets power plant as a threat notonly to its safety but also national security. Belarus hasdenied the plant has any safety issues.Despite relying on imports for 77 percent of its electricitysince closing down its own old Soviet-built nuclear power plantin 2009, Lithuania plans to cut off high-power cables linking itwith Astravets.Earlier this year it passed laws prohibiting the purchase ofBelarus energy after the power plant gets going next year. Datafrom November showed Lithuania relied on Russia and Belarus for31 percent of its electricity imports.Lithuania has not yet been able to persuade its neighboursto sign up for the boycott, but they have agreed to tax imports,Lithuania's energy minister Z