Danko: Nuclear Power Unit Should also Be Discussed with Countries Other than USA

(TA3,'V politike', 18 January) Speaking on TA3's discussion programme 'V politike' (In Politics) on Sunday, coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) leader and House Vice-chair Andrej Danko said that the issue of building a new nuclear power unit in Slovakia should also be discussed with countries other than the USA and that there's no need to exclude, for example, French companies from cooperation. Danko said it in response to the Slovak-US inter-governmental agreement on cooperation in the field of civil nuclear energy signed in Washington earlier this weekend. "We must acknowledge to Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) an indisputable fact that Slovakia has an economic and legal advantage in having all the procedures for the construction of nuclear units approved. That has the price of gold today, as going through all these procedures costs something. It's clear that a Russian partner would be the best and the cheapest. However, if we want to diversify the partnership, we have Korean, French, and US companies to choose from. I believe that the final contract hasn't yet been signed. Therefore, I wouldn't exclude French companies from cooperation, since given the policy demonstrated by Trump today, it would probably be the best solution - a European one," noted Danko, adding that Fico decided on potential cooperation with US companies on his own, without coalition partners. Danko's opponent on the show, House vice-chair Martin Dubeci (Progressive Slovakia/PS) concurred that Slovakia should also look at other partners to build a nuclear power plant unit with. "I would ask whether the American line is really the best in the current situation," he said. In connection with Danko's statements, he pointed out to discord in the coalition regarding the fundamental geopolitical issue. At the same time, Dubeci criticised Fico's talks with Trump, particularly their bad timing. He pointed to the threat by the US president to impose tariffs on the countries that don't support his plan with Greenland. Dubeci reiterated his reservations about the foreign policy pursued by the current government. He voiced his disappointment over the fact that several meetings held by Fico with foreign politicians have brought nothing to Slovakia. He also thinks that the Slovak premier is boycotting European partnerships. ko