Hungary seeks US exemption for Russian-backed nuclear project
Hungary has requested that the USA exempt the expansion project of the Paks nuclear power plant, which is being carried out by the Russians, from the sanctions imposed by the previous American administration, according to Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Thursday.
Szijjarto mentioned this during Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), 's Thursday visit to Budapest.
The government has requested that the Paks II project be exempt from the sanctions imposed by the previous US administration as a political retaliation, which are obstructing the project's progress, the minister said at a press conference.
These discussions were scheduled to occur during his visit to Washington last week.
Szijjarto also announced that Viktor Orban's government plans to extend the operation of the existing four blocks of the power plant by another 20 years.
"The expansion of the nuclear power plant is vital for Hungary's energy security, so the project is continuing despite ongoing challenges and obstacles," Szijjarto wrote on Facebook on Thursday, sharing details about a phone conversation with Alexey Likhachev, the head of Rosatom.
On Thursday, the Advocate General of the EU Court of Justice, Laila Medina, stated that the court should rule against Hungary's public support for building new reactors at the Paks nuclear power plant.
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