Russian Technology Could Replace German at Hungary's Paks-2 NPP, Szijjarto Says

BUDAPEST (Sputnik) - Russian technologies could replace German ones at Hungary's Paks-2 Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) if the German government keeps blocking Siemens' participation in the construction project, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.

Szijjarto earlier said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Economy Minister Robert Habeck from the Green Party, who do not issue permit to supply a process control system to Siemens, involved in the construction of new units, hinder the construction of the Paks-2 NPP.

Meanwhile, the French government issued a similar permit to Framatome company. According to Szijjarto, Budapest considers Germany's behavior unacceptable and illegal and regards it as a violation of Hungarian sovereignty.

“I would like to say that it is still a bit wild that the EU will build a nuclear power plant with control technologies from the two most powerful European countries, but at the moment the German government is at risk that they will need to be replaced with Russian technologies," Szijjarto told Hungarian journalists at a conference with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, broadcast on Facebook*.

"Is this a reasonable step by the German government?"

The Hungarian foreign minister said talks are under way with another member of the consortium, Framatome, to increase the company's role in the construction of new units of the Paks NPP.

“And the point now is not what Russian technologies are, because it is obvious that [Russian state nuclear corporation] Rosatom is one of the leading companies on the global market with one of the best nuclear technologies," he continued.

"But for what reason does the German government not want companies of the two most powerful European countries to supply control technologies to an NPP being built in the EU?" he asked rhetorically.

*Facebook, Instagram, and their parent company Meta are recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation