VIENNA, September 15. /TASS/. Nuclear energy sector can be a platform for restoring cooperation between East and West, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations Peter Szijjarto said at the 69th regular session of the IAEA General Conference.
"We, Hungarians, can serve as a good example, or at least as an encouragement, that nuclear energy can really be the platform based on which re-establishment of a civilized East-to-West cooperation is definitely possible. What do I mean under that? On one hand, based on a decades-long reliable cooperation and a contract signed in 2014, a Russian main constructor, Rosatom, is building our two new big blocks in Hungary, but there is a very significant contribution of German and French subcontractors in the meantime," the Hungarian Foreign Minister noted.
The Paks NPP, which was built with Soviet technologies, and which uses Russian nuclear fuel, provides half of all generated and one third of consumed electricity in Hungary. At present, four power units with VVER-440 reactors operate at the station built about 100 kilometers south of Budapest on the banks of the Danube.
In late 2014, Russia and Hungary signed documents on the construction of new power units 5 and 6 at Paks NPP with reactor plants of the advanced VVER-1200 project, which meets the most modern standards of reliability and safety. It was reported that Russia would give Hungary a state loan of up to 10 billion euros for the Paks-2 project, with the total cost of construction exceeding 12.5 billion euros.