Russia halted natural gas deliveries to Slovakia and the rest of Europe through Ukraine this week accusing Kiev of siphoning off transit gas. Moscow cut gas deliveries to Ukraine after the neighbors failed to agree on New Year's Eve on how to settle Kiev's gas debts or on a contract for 2009 deliveries.
Minister Lubomir Jahnatek told Slovakian television that the reactivation of the second reactor of the Jaslovske Bohunice nuclear power plant, announced by Slovakian Prime Minister Rober Fico on Saturday, would be an alternative source of energy in a variety of crisis situations.
Slovakia, which depends entirely on Russian gas, shut down its outdated nuclear reactor at the Jaslovke Bohunice at the end of 2008 as part of commitments undertaken for admission to the European Union.
Austria, which border's Slovakia, strongly criticized Bratislava's plans to restart the reactor, which is less than 100 kilometers from the Austrian capital, Vienna.
Austria's environmental protection minister, Nikolaus Berlakovich, said it would be "completely unacceptable" for Slovakia to reactivate the reactor and called on the European Commission to urge Slovakia to stick to its obligations.
