Obama to meet Nečas, focus on Czech nuke plant extension

Washington, Oct 26 (CTK) - The tender for the extension of the Czech Temelin nuclear power plant will definitely be the major issue of the talks U.S. President Barack Obama and Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas will have in the White House on Thursday.

The United States wants to show its high interest in winning the order for the construction of two new units of the plant worth several hundred billion crowns that would ensure jobs at a time when the U.S. economy is facing high unemployment.

Economic issues have replaced security issues that dominated the previous visits of Czech prime ministers Vladimir Spidla (2003) and Mirek Topolanek (2008) to the White House.

This shift in bilateral relations is a result of the decision to scrap the plan to build a U.S. missile defence base near Prague, announced by Obama two years ago.

The U.S. side repeatedly said in the past months that it is crucial for them to win the tender for Temelin's expansion.

The bidders are the Russian-Czech consortium Atomstroyexport, the U.S. company Westinghouse and French Areva.

The U.S. administration supports Westinghouse even though the company is owned by Japanese Toshiba because the possible order would create new jobs in the United States.

U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic Norman Eisen said he considers Temelin his key task.

Eisen said previously Obama was interested in Temelin because the order would help both Czech and U.S. economies.

The construction of the two new units should be completed by 2025 in Temelin. The bids are to be handed next year and the winner is to be known in 2013.

Necas already talked about Temelin with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in February. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is to come this winter. Czech diplomats say Necas's meeting with Obama ought to be seen in this context.

The Czech Republic wants to deepen economic cooperation with the USA in general. Last year, the two countries launched a trade debate that is to encourage the exchange of goods and investments, focusing especially on research and development, IT and energy.

Cooperation in science and technology is related to Temelin, too. In 2010, the Czech Republic and the USA signed a declaration on cooperation in nuclear energy research, in which some American and Czech universities are taking part.

On Friday, Necas will meet representatives of U.S. entrepreneurs in Washington.

Obama and Necas will probably also discuss security issues, such as Czech participation in the Afghan mission, which the United States repeatedly appreciated in the past, NATO's summit to be held in Chicago next year, as well as human rights protection across the world.

Necas was originally to attend a reception organised on the occasion of October 28, a Czech national holiday commemorating the country's establishment, at the Czech embassy in Washington. He will arrive in Washington only later due to a EU summit on the euro zone debt crisis held in Brussels.

Necas is to meet Obama on Thursday afternoon local time. He will return to Prague on Friday.