Briefing with the new American ambassador to the Czech Republic, Bijan Sabet, February 16, 2023, Prague.
Prague – One of the main priorities is the support of Westinghouse, which is applying for the construction of a new nuclear unit in Dukovany. The new American ambassador to the Czech Republic, Bijan Sabet, said this at today's briefing. The company's experts will arrive in the Czech Republic in February.
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Westinghouse is one of the three bidders for the construction of the new Dukovany nuclear unit, it submitted the offer together with the American company Bechtel Nuclear Power Company. Other interested parties for construction in Dukovany are the French company EDF and the South Korean company KHNP. In addition, Westinghouse will supply nuclear fuel to another domestic power plant in Temelín starting next year.
According to Sabet, supporting Westinghouse will be one of the main priorities. “Now more than ever, we realize that energy security and national security cannot be separated,” he said. Later this month, the company's experts will arrive in the Czech Republic, they will negotiate with suppliers and other interested parties, he added.
When asked, Sabet also briefly mentioned the possible acquisition of American F-35 aircraft for the Czech Air Force, which he mentioned last week representatives of the Ministry of Defense acted in the USA. The Czech Republic is considering whether to buy 24 modern machines. Defense Minister Jana Černochová (ODS) has until October to negotiate the terms of a potential trade. Sabet said that he was pleased that the Czech government announced its intention to purchase the F-35, and, according to him, discussions about a possible purchase are now being conducted at an expert level.
