Czech president Milos Zeman and members of a presidential council on energy have insisted that a tender for the construction of a new nuclear power plant at Dukovany be announced as soon as possible and that it should not be restricted to certain participants.

Russia’s official Tass news agency said the comments were made by deputy prime minister and head of the the industry and trade ministry Karel Havlicek, who oversees the development of nuclear energy.

Mr Havlicek attended a meeting of the presidential council at the weekend and according to Tass said the president and council members do not want to limit the number of bidders for the planned €6bn new nuclear unit.