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Slovakia cancels decision to relaunch nuclear reactor: minister
Bratislava (AFP) Jan 23, 2009 Slovak Economy Minister Lubomir Jahnatek said Friday the country would cancel both a state of energy emergency and a decision to relaunch its Soviet-type nuclear reactor. "The reasons for relaunching of the nuclear reactor in Jaslovske Bohunice are not relevant any more," Jahnatek told a press conference. "We decided to cancel the state of emergency effective today as of 2.00 pm," as gas deliveries from Russia through Ukraine have been stabilised, he added. A two-week financial dispute between Russia and Ukraine, a key transit route for Russian gas, had interrupted gas deliveries to much of Europe earlier this month at a time of bitter cold weather. In response, Slovakia started preparatory work to relaunch the Soviet-era reactor, shut down as part of the deal that saw the country join the European Union in 2004. The dispute was resolved earlier this week and gas has been flowing to Europe since Tuesday. Slovakia depends on Russia for 98 percent of its natural gas imports, which pass through Ukraine. The country, cut off from Russian deliveries on January 7, declared a state of energy emergency to economise on gas. Slovakia began preparing to reactivate the outdated reactor in a bid to avert an energy crisis caused by the Russian cut-off. The former communist country closed the Soviet-type VVER-440/230 reactor at the Jaslovske Bohunice plant northwest of the capital Bratislava on December 31 to meet a pledge given to the EU before accession in May 2004. The European Commission repeatedly warned that the crisis over Russian gas supplies to Europe was not sufficient grounds to relaunch the reactor and threatened legal action if Bratislava went ahead. Russian natural gas piped to Europe through Ukraine started to flow back into Slovakia and other European countries on Tuesday after Russian state-run energy company Gazprom reached a deal with Ukrainian counterpart Naftogaz to end their dispute. Share This Article With Planet Earth
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Siemens planning to give up stake in Areva: source
Berlin (AFP) Jan 23, 2009German engineering group Siemens is planning to abandon its stake in Areva NP, the reactor subsidiary of French nuclear power company Areva, a source close to the matter said on Friday. |
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