Austria wants to have a say in a study of the construction of the third and fourth reactor blocks at the nuclear power plant in Mochovce (Nitra region) and its potential impact on the environment.
After meeting her Slovak counterpart Ján Kubiš on June 5, the Austrian Foreign Affairs Minister Ursula Plassnik pointed out her country's scepticism towards nuclear energy. She also said that she expects Austria to be involved in any plans concerning the Mochovce plant, the TASR newswire wrote.
Plassnik added that the safety of the people of both countries should be primary. Despite differing opinions between the two sides on energy, she believes that they can discuss this topic in a friendly atmosphere. The head of Slovak diplomacy declared that he understands the Austrian side's concerns, but added that the construction of the new blocks at Mochovce was absolutely safe and complied with all necessary regulations.
The ministers agreed that relations between Slovakia and Austria are excellent. Plassnik said that she also views Slovakia's accession to the eurozone as a positive step. Moreover, she thanked Slovakia for its support for Austria's bid to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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