Czech president says at U.N. nuclear energy is stable, legitimate

He said this also applies after the nuclear disaster in Japan´s Fukushima, after which "some governments decided not to build new nuclear power plants and some even to abandon nuclear energy as such."

"Speaking for the Czech Republic, we consider that what happened in Fukushima did not - by any means - question the arguments for nuclear energy. These arguments are strong, economically rational and convincing," Klaus said.

Nevertheless, he said "what happened in Japan in March was a serious natural catastrophe and there are certainly lessons to be learned from it."

It ensued from his words, however, that he does not consider the complete abandoning of nuclear energy to be such a lesson.

In Europe this step has been taken by Germany that says the Czech Republic should follow its example and gradually quit nuclear energy.

However, Czech politicians reject this and on the contrary, they are planning the construction of another two blocs in the nuclear power plant in Temelin, south Bohemia.

Klaus said previously Germany´s decision to quit nuclear energy [by 2022] is irrational and populist.

"The Germans are normally rational people, but I do not understand this," Klaus said in Hamburg in June.

He said the Czech Republic is going to continue exploiting nuclear energy.

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz