Hungary has already decided in favour of nuclear energy and “those who currently criticise this were also involved in that decision and in fact it was they who initiated it,” Minister of Foreign Affairs János Martonyi said on 28 January 2014.

Minister Martonyi told commercial broadcaster Gazdasági Rádió that it was a rational decision to engage those who had already built four reactors to handle the further two blocks of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant. Once a decision to build reactors in Paks had been made, “nobody else could really build them” but the Russians, since they are able to guarantee full safety and conditions for financing that are acceptable to the country in the next 30-40 years. These two points had to be considered when the decision was made, he said.

He emphasised that the security of energy supplies is increasing, which is very important because energy will be one of the most important issues in the decades to come.

No agreement has been concluded on the interest Hungary will pay for the Russian loan as yet, but whatever the final outcome, it will be more favourable than market rates, he said.

There is a global debate about the use of nuclear energy, and it is worth discussing because it is a “truly legitimate debate,” Minister Martonyi pointed out. Two large European countries, France and the UK, support nuclear energy and they have made it clear they will maintain the operation of nuclear reactors and build new ones. At the same time, Germany and Austria have said they do not need nuclear energy, he added.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)