Medvedev says nuclear energy Russian priority amid climate change

[Kshasty]

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev during his visit to the west Siberian city of Tomsk in freezing temperatures on Thursday said nuclear energy development was a national priority, in particular as an instrument for combating global warming.

"This is an absolute priority for our power grid development, power generation development and the development of energy potential," Medvedev said at a meeting with local students.

He said nuclear energy development also followed the goal of switching to green technology in the fight against global warming. However, he said temperatures in Tomsk which were under 20 below zero Centigrade (-4 Fahrenheit) during his visit, contested the global fear.

"Anyway, once it is mentioned in our program, we will certainly build it, because our power sector has no future without nuclear nergy," Medvedev said.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100211/157845067.html