Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Monday afternoon, January 12, spoke via telephone with Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann and explained the situation surrounding the possible relaunch of the nuclear power block Jaslovske Bohunice, the premier's spokesperson Silvia Glendova told the TASR newswire.
Both leaders agreed that they feel strongly about keeping good neighbourly relations between Slovakia and Austria.
The Slovak PM informed the Austrian Chancellor of the logic that underlies the decision made by the Slovak Government on January 10: Slovakia cannot afford an electricity blackout in addition to the outage of natural gas supplies.
Fico explained to Faymann, whose government has been vocal in its opposition to the relaunching, that the second nuclear reactor at the power plant is only being prepared for relaunch. Fico offered Austrian experts the opportunity to do on-site inspections of these preparations.
Fico drew Faymann's attention to the fact that the second reactor has not been restarted and that this power lies with Economy Minister Lubomir Jahnatek on the basis of the government's resolution, and after approval has been granted by the nuclear supervision office Úrad Jadrového Dozoru (ÚJD).
The final decision on relaunch depends mainly on the outcome of negotiations in Brussels on January 13 and on the arrival of real and stable supplies of natural gas to Slovakia. TASR
