Ukraine crisis fuels debate on Moscow bid to expand Czech N-plant

March 04, 2014 02:13

Russia's moves in Ukraine today sparked splits among Czech officials on Moscow's bid for a multi-billion-dollar contract to expand a Czech nuclear plant.

Speaking after Russian troops poured into Ukraine's Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in violation of international accords, the Czech ministers for defence and human rights said they were against the Russian bid.

But the Czech prime minister and national power giant CEZ insisted politics would play no role in the tender to build two new units at the southern Temelin nuclear plant, a contract worth an estimated 8 to 12 billion euros ($10 to $15 billion).

The MIR-1200 consortium, made up of Russia's Atomstroyexport and Gidropress and the Czech Skoda JS, is up against US industrial giant Westinghouse for the contract from CEZ.

"What (Russia) is doing is unacceptable," said Czech Defence Minister Martin Stropnicky, adding that "Russia is no longer a democratic and predictable state."

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