Hungary wants to hire engineers-workers from Rooppur nuclear power plant

Hungary, a landlocked country in central Europe, wants to hire engineers and workers from Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant to construct their second nuclear power plant.

The foreign minister of Hungary, Peter Szijjarto, in this regard made a request at a meeting with Bangladesh foreign minister Hasan Mahmud at Brussels in Belgium recently.

Foreign ministry officials confirmed this to Prothom Alo on Monday.

Hasan Mahmud went to Brussels in the beginning of February to attend the minister level meeting of the Indo Pacific region.

On the sideline he held meetings with foreign ministers of five European countries.

Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation is constructing nuclear power plant Paks-2 in Hungary. Earlier, they constructed the nuclear power plant Paks in the country.

Hungary is interested in hiring engineers and workers from Rooppur nuclear power plant to construct 2.4 gigawatt nuclear power plant Paks-2.
When asked about the matter, a senior official said Peter Szijjarto discussed the issue during a bilateral meeting with foreign minister Hasan Mahmud in Brussels.

Peter expressed interest to hire engineers and workers involved in the Rooppur nuclear power plant.

Peter said Rosatom is implementing a similar project with the technology and process that is being used in the Bangladesh project.

The foreign minister of Hungary requested the Bangladesh foreign minister to consider the matter of hiring skilled engineers and workers from the Bangladesh nuclear power plant.

Diplomatic sources said Bangladesh has assured Hungary of looking into their request. After the completion of the Rooppur nuclear power plant, there is no bar to send skilled manpower abroad from the nuclear project.

In cooperation with Russia, the nuclear power plant is being constructed in Bangladesh. Several hundred Bangladeshi engineers and workers are engaged in the Rooppur project.

Specialised knowledge is required to construct nuclear power plants.
Hungary is interested in removing double tax and signing investment protection agreements.

As Bangladesh's economic capacity has increased, Hungary wants to enhance cooperation.

Diplomatic sources said they want to sign two primary agreements in the area of cooperation.

A diplomatic source in Brussels said Bangladesh will get GSP facility in the European Union (EU) till 2029.

Bangladesh has to discuss with the EU to get a GSP plus facility. Hungary is a member of the EU. Hungary has given assurance to Bangladesh getting a GSP plus facility.