VILNIUS, July 22 (RIA Novosti, Vladimir Vodo) - Lithuania's conservative politicians advocate the construction of a new nuclear power plant (NPP) in Lithuania.

Tevine Sajunga, a Lithuanian opposition party, said in a statement the nuclear power plant was necessary in developing a new energy strategy for the country.

Conservatives said it would be expedient to build a nuclear power plant jointly with Latvia and Estonia. The construction cost is estimated at 1.3-1.4 billion euros.

Given the future decommissioning of the Ignalina NPP, the Lithuanian energy sector will be completely dependent on Russian natural gas supply.

Vaclovas Miskinis, the laboratory director of the Lithuanian Energy Institute, told an international seminar on the security of energy supply that construction of a new 1,250-megawatt power-generating unit would cost 927 million euros.

Miskinis said extending the operation of the Ignalina NPP's second power-generating unit until 2017 would result in a profit of 440 million euros.

As part of its EU membership, Lithuania agreed to decommission the Ignalina NPP's first power-generating unit on December 31, 2004, and the second unit by the end of 2009.

International experts said recently the decision on the Ignalina NPP decommissioning was made under pressure from Western countries, and Lithuania could operate it much longer, with the first and second power-generating units operational up until 2008 and 2032 respectively.

According to experts, the natural gas share in electricity production in Lithuania will rise from 17% in 2005 to 23% in 2010 and 73% in 2035.