Orban meets Rosatom's director, discuss nuclear energy cooperation

The director of Russia's state-owned energy company Rosatom, Alexey Likhachev, arrived in Budapest for talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the news portal Telex reported on June 5.

The two discussed cooperation on the expansion of Hungary's Paks Nuclear Power Plant.

"Both Rosatom and the Hungarian Government aim to ensure the commissioning of the new Paks units by the beginning of the next decade," said Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó, who was also present at the talks.

Belarus Weekly: Hungarian foreign minister, German right-wing MP visit Belarus

In February 2015, the leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany, and Russia met in Minsk to hold talks following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2014. Following the 15-hour-long talks, the second Minsk Agreement was reached, intended to stop Russia’s war in Ukraine’s east. The agreement envisioned a ceas…

The Kyiv IndependentMaria Yeryoma

Szijjártó said on May 25 the European Union approved changes to the contract between Budapest and Rosatom intended to speed up the expansion.

According to the foreign minister, many "international actors" are trying to slow down or block the project, which constitutes an attack on Hungary's sovereignty and an obstacle to its energy security.

Budapest complained on Feb. 24 that the German government was blocking the export of control equipment for the plant.

In contrast, the French government has reportedly allowed its state-backed nuclear power operator subsidiary Framatome to participate in the project along Rosatom.

Budapest gave permission to Rosatom to work on the Paks power plant in August 2022, only a few months after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.