MOSCOW, May 25. /TASS/. Russia has no grounds to doubt that Hungary will explain the situation around the Paks nuclear power plant (NPP) to the European Union, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet.

"The project of expanding the Paks nuclear power plant, constructed with technical support of USSR, by the Russian Rosatom state corporation is really strategic," Lavrov said ahead of his official visit to Budapest. "This concerns its cost - over €10 billion, and time of implementation - up to 2032, and its role in ensuring energy security in Hungary. The Paks NPP is already producing over 40% of electricity in the country," he added.

The foreign minister noted that "considerable part of the work will be carried out by Hungarian companies and specialists that will have to operate the plant eventually."

"Of course, we are aware of special attention that European structures pay to our joint project, in particular the European Commission which has initiated several investigations into this matter," Lavrov said. "At the current stage, we see no grounds to doubt that Hungarian government, that repeatedly noted its firm commitment to the project, will be able to provide necessary answers to questions raised by Brussels," he concluded.