Hungary and Russia have held talks on plans to build new reactors at the Paks nuclear power station with Budapest saying the two blocks need to be completed “as soon as possible”.

Péter Szijjarto, Hungary’s foreign minister, confirmed on social media that talks had taken place in Istanbul, Turkey, with Alexey Likhachev, chief executive officer of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom.

He said the construction of new reactors at Paks, which already has four operational plants, is vital for the country’s energy security. “The more energy Hungary is able to generate on its own, the more protected it is from the turbulence of the global energy market,” Mr Szijjarto said on Facebook.