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PÁRBESZÉD QUERIES GOVT ON PAKS EXPANSION

 

The opposition Párbeszéd party has submitted a series of questions to the government in connection with the upgrade of Hungary’s nuclear power plant in Paks. Benedek Jávor, an advisor to the party, noted at a press briefing that Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó announced last week that Hungary and Russia had agreed to modify the contract on the plant’s expansion. Jávor said Párbeszéd’s questions aimed to clarify the changes and which contracts they applied to. He said Párbeszéd wanted to know whether it was possible that Paks 2, the project company in charge of the upgrade, would take over contractor duties and the related financial and legal responsibilities. The party also seeks information on whether the issue of the project’s increased costs, “for which Russia’s Rosatom is to blame”, would be settled if a new contractor was appointed, he said. Another question Párbeszéd wants answered is whether a potential new financing contract would be submitted to parliament for approval, Jávor added.