VIENNA, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine will accelerate the development of nuclear power in a bid to reduce dependence on imported energy, visiting Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said here Tuesday.
More nuclear reactors will be brought into operation in Ukraine by 2013, said Yushchenko, who was on a one-day visit to Vienna.
The president did not elaborate on how many new nuclear reactors will be built, but there are reports saying that the country, which has 15 nuclear reactors at present, plans to increase the number of its reactors to 22 in the coming years.
Ukraine is a responsible nuclear power, Yushchenko told a press conference after meeting with Austrian President Heinz Fischer.
The country is making considerable investments in improving the safety of its nuclear reactors as well as in technological innovation of the nuclear reactors' environmental protection facilities.
Ukraine, a country boasting advanced heavy industry, relies heavily on imported Russian natural gas.
Yushchenko was also scheduled to meet Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer on Tuesday.