Fico: EU Commission Approves Draft Nuclear Agreement Between Slovakia and USA

Bratislava, 3 August (TASR) – The European Commission has given a positive assessment of the intergovernmental agreement draft between Slovakia and the United States on cooperation in the field of nuclear energy. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) announced in a video posted on social media on Sunday. The Premier pointed out that such an agreement with a non-EU country must be reviewed by EU institutions. „The United States has already signed the draft agreement, and we will do the same,” Fico stated. „This agreement will form the basis for the signing of another intergovernmental agreement concerning the construction of a new nuclear power plant block in Jaslovske Bohunice — to be built by the American company Westinghouse,” the Prime Minister announced. He underlined that the new nuclear block will be 100 percent state-owned. In the same video, Fico also said he will visit China as part of his upcoming foreign trips. „The visit will coincide with the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, and I would like to use the occasion to confirm joint economic projects,” he explained. Fico further announced that at the cabinet meeting on 20 August, the government is expected to approve initial proposals related to next year's budget. mf