Hungary to see hindrances to NPP projects as encroachment on sovereignty - MFA

SIRIUS /Federal Territory/, November 21. /TASS/. Hungary may consider any impediments to its nuclear projects, should they be posed by anyone, as an encroachment on its sovereignty, Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto said at a plenary session during the international forum Atomexpo-2022 on Monday.

"The country's energy security is a matter of sovereignty. Each country resolves such issues on its own. Should someone dare try to interfere with our nuclear projects, we will consider this an encroachment on our sovereignty," Szijjarto said. He stressed that decisions concerning the energy security of any state should be respected by other countries and by no means be subject to external pressure, including sanctions.

"Since we do not extract oil or gas, the development of nuclear power is an excellent solution for independent and sufficient energy production," Szijjarto stressed.

Earlier, he met with Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev ahead of the opening of the Atomexpo 2022 international forum on Monday. Szijjarto said they discussed the second stage of the Russian-designed nuclear power plant project in Paks.

Currently, preparations are underway at the Soviet-designed Paks NPP, located about 100 kilometers south of Budapest, for the construction of two new power units designed by Rosatom. The necessary licenses have been obtained and work is underway at the construction site.

As Szijjarto said earlier, Moscow confirmed its willingness to finance this 12.5-billion-euro project, which from the very outset was to be 80% funded with a Russian loan. The Hungarian government expects that two water-water 1,200-megawatt VVER-1200 nuclear reactors will be commissioned by 2030, increasing the NPP?s overall capacity to 4,400 megawatts from the current 2,000 megawatts.The international two-day forum Atomexpo-2022 is one of the most significant events in the global nuclear industry, its key theme defined this time as Nuclear Spring: Creating a Sustainable Future. It is bringing together leading experts and specialists from more than five dozen countries, who on November 21 and 22, will be discussing the role of nuclear power in addressing the global climate agenda and the contribution of nuclear technologies in meeting the UN?s sustainable development goals. The Atomexpo forum has been held since 2009. TASS is its information partner. --0--str/vvk