France won't abandon nuclear power, but will enhance nuclear safety management, government officials said Tuesday, Xinhua reported.
Eric Besson, minister of Industry, Energy and Digital Economy, said in an interview with the French daily La Liberation that the halt of nuclear power will increase consumption of traditional energy resources like coal and natural gas.
This will cause an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, and raise the amounts and prices of imported nuclear power, Besson said.
The minister said France isn't isolated in its stance, as countries like the United States, some emerging countries, and even Japan after its latest massive nuclear accident, also chose to continue using nuclear energy.
Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said Germany's decision to close its nuclear plants before 2022 won't influence France's plan to use nuclear energy, adding that his country will continue to cooperate with Germany in the energy field.
Valero said nuclear energy is important to control energy expenditures when energy demand is constantly growing.
The spokesman emphasized nuclear safety will be the priority for developing nuclear energy, and said this was what French President Nicolas Sarkozy stressed at the latest Group of Eight summit held in Deauville, France.
Countries in the European Union have agreed to carry out nuclear plant safety tests in the next months.
...