Russian nuclear power conglomerate Rosatom is open to the idea of discussing the purchase of a stake in state-run French company AREAVA, but there is little interest from France in making a deal, said a senior Rosatom official.
Andrei Rozhdestvin, vice president of Rosatom for Western Europe, made the remarks that provoked a flurry of interest among media outlets. Quoted by Challenges, Rozhdestvin said France had not ruled out Rosatom as an investor in the struggling French company, did not seem very interested in a deal.
AREVA is majority owned – 87 percent – by the French government, which is in discussions with Asian investors from Japan and China. This development, however, would have an impact on Rosatom, as AREVA and Rosatom are tied together in various projects, Rozhdestvin noted.