PS: New Nuclear Facility Project Should Be Discussed in Transparent Manner

Bratislava, 12 September (TASR) - The construction of a new nuclear power facility in Jaslovske Bohunice (Trnava region) should be negotiated in a transparent manner, as it is a huge investment amounting to €15 billion, opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party representatives Michal Simecka (PS chairman) and Ivan Stefunko (PS vice-chair) told a news conference on Friday. This statement was made in connection with a proposal to sign a US-Slovak inter-governmental agreement to facilitate cooperation on the Jaslovske Bohunice nuclear power plant (NPP) project, approved by the government via a classified procedure on Wednesday (10 September). PS claims that not only the USA, but also a French company is interested in building the NPP in Slovakia. "Progressive Slovakia isn't against nuclear energy, and we aren't even a priori against cooperation with US firm Westinghouse. We're concerned about the way in which it should be carried out. There should be transparency, there should be competition, and not in such an illicit manner, with [Prime Minister] Robert Fico (Smer-SD) agreeing with someone silently and the government lying about it. This shouldn't happen in any country when €15 billion is at stake," said Simecka. "What should normally happen is that the opposition would be consulted, as it is very likely that by the time the NPP is being built, Robert Fico will no longer be the premier, but PS or Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) or the Christian Democrats (KDH) may be in the government," said the PS chairman. According to Stefunko, such a huge investment should have been subject to a transparent discussion, and a supplier should be selected via a tender. According to him, the government lied when it claimed that French company Électricité de France (EDF) wasn't interested in participating in the construction of a new nuclear facility in Slovakia. "According to information available to me, Fico and Economy Minister Denisa Sakova (Voice-SD) met recently, a week ago, representatives of the aforementioned French company. This company said that it was interested in participating in a tender, that it was interested in supplying nuclear technology in various modifications to Slovakia," said Stefunko. "We do support strengthening Slovakia's energy independence, so that it will produce its own electricity. The problem is that energy could become excessively expensive if the construction of a nuclear power plant is overpriced," said Stefunko. ko/df