Prague, ČTK 19:22 - 03.12.2007 - The dream of endless lowering of energy consumption is nonsense and this should be said aloud, Czech President Vaclav Klaus said at the reopening of the VR-1 training reactor at Czech Technical University (CVUT) today.
"I cannot imagine the development of this country without nuclear energy," Klaus said.
Klaus said he considered it his duty to contribute with all of his forces to place the heated debate over atomic energy back from the heaven to the earth.
No economic development will be possible without energy, he added.
Klaus said he was convinced that if a vote were held in the Chamber of Deputies about nuclear energy, out of its 200 members some 150 to 170 would vote for it.
Klaus stressed that Europe was importing half of its energy from unstable countries. This must be changed, he said, adding that Americans, too, were thinking of constructing nuclear plants for similar reasons.
"I am deeply convinced that there is no solution but nuclear energy for our country that does not have any rich material sources. Or else, it will face a downfall," CVUT rector Vaclav Havlicek said.
The VR-1 training reactor was first launched on December 3, 1990. It is a unique training experimental installation at which experts are trained who will operate nuclear plants and develop the Czech nuclear programme. It was modernised and innovated in the past years.