Tweet
Agence France Presse
January 16, 2013 Wednesday 11:43 AM GMT
Turkey and France to resume nuclear plant talks: minister
ISTANBUL, Jan 16 2013
Turkey and France have agreed to resume talks on civilian nuclear
energy at a time Ankara plans to build three plants within the next
five years, French Foreign Trade Minister Nicole Bricq said on
Wednesday.
"We met the (energy) minister to discuss Turkey's important projects
in nuclear facilities," said Bricq after a meeting with Energy
Minister Taner Yildiz. "France claims excellence in this field...so it
is only natural that we have these discussions."
She said: "We want Turkey to be equipped with the best and most secure
technology and we can do it."
Yildiz said that Turkey was aware of French nuclear technology and a
series of talks would be held to develop cooperation, which had
stalled amid chilly ties between the nations.
"Some important issues such as nuclear cannot be developed
independently of international issues," Yildiz said.
For the last 10 years, diplomatic relations between Paris and Ankara
have experienced several crises, fuelled in particular by a French
bill criminalising denial of genocide in Armenian, vehemently denied
by Ankara.
The tensions hit the interests of the French businesses in Turkey,
particularly in obtaining big state contracts.
On Tuesday, Bricq said that her first visit to Turkey on behalf of the
government was a "political signal" from the new French President
Francois Hollande to develop closer ties, after strained relations
between his predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy and Turkey.
Atmea, a joint venture owned by the French nuclear power group Areva
and Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), has recently signalled
its intention to bid to build the third plant.
Turkey is planning to build three nuclear power plants in the next
five years to reduce its dependence on foreign energy sources.
It struck the first deal with Russia in 2010 to build the first power
plant at Akkuyu in the southern Mersin province.
China, Japan, South Korea and Canada are competing to win the Turkish
tender for the second plant, to be built near the Black Sea city of
Sinop.
pa-ck/hd
January 16, 2013 Wednesday 11:43 AM GMT
Turkey and France to resume nuclear plant talks: minister
ISTANBUL, Jan 16 2013
Turkey and France have agreed to resume talks on civilian nuclear
energy at a time Ankara plans to build three plants within the next
five years, French Foreign Trade Minister Nicole Bricq said on
Wednesday.
"We met the (energy) minister to discuss Turkey's important projects
in nuclear facilities," said Bricq after a meeting with Energy
Minister Taner Yildiz. "France claims excellence in this field...so it
is only natural that we have these discussions."
She said: "We want Turkey to be equipped with the best and most secure
technology and we can do it."
Yildiz said that Turkey was aware of French nuclear technology and a
series of talks would be held to develop cooperation, which had
stalled amid chilly ties between the nations.
"Some important issues such as nuclear cannot be developed
independently of international issues," Yildiz said.
For the last 10 years, diplomatic relations between Paris and Ankara
have experienced several crises, fuelled in particular by a French
bill criminalising denial of genocide in Armenian, vehemently denied
by Ankara.
The tensions hit the interests of the French businesses in Turkey,
particularly in obtaining big state contracts.
On Tuesday, Bricq said that her first visit to Turkey on behalf of the
government was a "political signal" from the new French President
Francois Hollande to develop closer ties, after strained relations
between his predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy and Turkey.
Atmea, a joint venture owned by the French nuclear power group Areva
and Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), has recently signalled
its intention to bid to build the third plant.
Turkey is planning to build three nuclear power plants in the next
five years to reduce its dependence on foreign energy sources.
It struck the first deal with Russia in 2010 to build the first power
plant at Akkuyu in the southern Mersin province.
China, Japan, South Korea and Canada are competing to win the Turkish
tender for the second plant, to be built near the Black Sea city of
Sinop.
pa-ck/hd