Foreign minister in Moscow: Paks upgrade taps Russian, US, German, French tech

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Moscow that he hoped the cooperation based on mutual respect would one day be restored between the European Union and Russia, because it was once a baseline for long-term economic growth.

Speaking at a panel discussion at the Russian Energy Week late on Friday, Szijjártó said European economic growth once had been based on a combination of cutting-edge western technology and relatively cheap eastern energy resources. By now, that model has fallen apart, he said.

Responding a question, Szijjártó said nuclear energy was key to safe, cheap, balanced and sustainable energy. The upgrade of Hungary’s nuclear plant in Paks will increase capacity by 2,400 mega-Watts and forestall the emission of 17 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, he said.

Hungary, he said, regarded all “attacks” on nuclear energy as “unacceptable”, especially since European concerns “are always based on ideology and devoid of facts”.

Besides Russia’s Rosatom, the project taps US, German and French technologies, he said.

“This goes to show that the nuclear industry still allows for international cooperation based on rational thinking and respect,” he added.

Szijjártó said Hungary would never condone sanctions on nuclear energy.

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