[EXCLUSIVE] Nuclear deal will go through despite Westinghouse, EDF appeals: Czech security adviser

The Czech government is confident that the new nuclear deal with KHNP will go through despite appeals from U.S. company Westinghouse Electric and French company EDF, the country's top security adviser said in an interview in Seoul.

Tomas Pojar, national security adviser of the Czech government, speaks during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Jung District, central Seoul, on Tuesday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

The Czech government is confident that the new nuclear deal with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) will go through despite appeals from U.S. company Westinghouse Electric and French company EDF, the country's top security adviser said in an interview in Seoul.

Tomáš Pojar, the national security adviser of the Czech government, also envisioned that Korea and the Czech Republic will have even more opportunities for cooperation with the new nuclear deal, which he said will have a "snowball effect."

“The nuclear project is really going to start a snowball effect not only in the nuclear field but in other fields as well,” said Pojar during an exclusive interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Jung District, central Seoul, on Tuesday.

Pojar is visiting Seoul as a special envoy to meet with President Yoon Suk Yeol, ministers of the Korean government and business leaders after Korea's selection as the preferred bidder of the $18 billion nuclear deal and ahead of Yoon’s upcoming visit to Prague.

"We should take their appeals seriously and respond accordingly, but we are confident we can move ahead and negotiate the agreement with the Korean side," he said regarding the appeals from the U.S. and French companies.

During his meeting with Yoon on Wednesday, Pojar said that the Czech government hopes to strengthen comprehensive cooperation with Korea not only in the nuclear power sector but also in industry, investment, defense, transportation, and research and development.

With the Korea JoongAng Daily, Pojar outlined various sectors where further cooperation could be achieved, what outcomes are to be expected from Yoon’s state visit and reasons why European powers should engage in the Indo-Pacific.

Pojar has been the Czech government's national security adviser since last year. He was previously the prime minister's sherpa for EU matters and deputy minister for European affairs.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, and Czech National Security Adviser Tomas Pojar shake hands during a meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

Q. A Korean consortium was chosen as the preferred bidder for a nuclear plant project in the Czech Republic. Could bilateral industrial cooperation between the two countries be extended beyond nuclear reactor construction to encompass other strategic sectors, and if so, what sectors are you especially interested in? A: Bilateral industrial cooperation definitely could be expanded, and I think it must be because it is a great opportunity for such expansion, and we should not miss this opportunity. Czechs and Koreans can cooperate bilaterally and in third markets inside the European Union. Korea is a very industrialized country, and we are also the most industrialized country in Europe. Specific sectors other than nuclear include the automotive industry, batteries, energy and transportation. Transportation not only entails cars but also the expansion of direct flights between our two countries. Another potential is cooperation in research and development between universities in the sciences.

Is there any concern over Westinghouse Electric and EDF’s appeals? We should take their appeals seriously and respond accordingly, but we are confident we can move ahead and negotiate the agreement with the Korean side. We are also confident that the whole process was transparent and within related rules. There is also a dispute with Westinghouse about the IP [of some of the technology involved], but we are not part of that dispute. However, I am sure that this dispute can be bridged, and we hope that the two companies can come to an agreement.

South Korea's presidential office previously said that a Trade and Investment Promotion Framework could be signed with Czechia. How far have discussions on the matter advanced so far, and if such a framework is signed, what benefits do you envision it bringing to both sides? We are working on an action plan and we have signed action plans in the past. It is a useful tool, and we are confident that we can sign one within weeks. The new action plan, as well as various different memoranda of understanding and agreements between different institutions and different ministries, are being prepared. More specifically, we are negotiating memoranda in the fields of industry, transportation, science and education. I am sure that you will see these documents signed, perhaps during the visit of President Yoon Suk Yeol and his delegation to Prague.

Korea has been strengthening its presence in the Indo-Pacific region. How does Czechia perceive the importance of the Indo-Pacific in its security strategy, and are there any specific areas of cooperation between South Korea and Czechia that could be expanded, particularly in the context of security and defense? I think the best demonstration of how we see the importance of this region is that the first trip that our Prime Minister Petr Fiala made outside of Europe was to the Indo-Pacific. It is a very dynamic region where there is a lot of economic potential and also where we hope that we can contribute to stability. Because if instability is the path forward in the Indo-Pacific, then it would have consequences not only for countries in the region but also globally. I am sure that before the end of his current term, Prime Minister Fiala will also have a chance to visit Korea and other countries in the region he has not visited yet.

Why do you think it is important for European powers to engage in the Indo-Pacific? Especially with the democratic countries in the region, it is important to work together with other democracies and developed economies and to strengthen our economic, scientific and technological base together. So, it is quite natural that we are working together with Korea and other countries in the Indo-Pacific. And it is as natural for Korea to work with European countries as it is for Korea to work with the United States. We strongly believe in cooperation and a more open market within the framework of like-minded democracies.

With the ongoing war in Ukraine, how has Czechia adapted its security policies concerning Russia, and what measures are you taking to safeguard energy security, especially considering Europe's dependency on Russian energy supplies? First, we have boosted our defense spending to 2 percent of our GDP, which we will reach this year. We have also started a robust program to modernize our armed forces. Of course, our security is guaranteed through membership in NATO and support of NATO member states to each other. Regarding energy security, we now have the luxury of not depending on Russian gas and oil, and we are also developing nuclear production. Currently, we get about 40 percent of our electricity production from nuclear plants, and we want to expand that to 50 percent. So, as we have a good energy mix and are not dependent on one source, and especially not dependent on sources from Russia, a country that is waging this aggressive war, I think we can say that we have succeeded.

As national security adviser, what have been some of the most challenging issues you have had to advise the Czech government on, and what is currently the most contentious issue in international security? For us, the most challenging issue was Russian aggression, which was very dominant in my agenda. But these days, I can focus more on energy, foreign relations and other issues. We are also closely watching what is happening in the Middle East. It is not a direct neighborhood to us like Ukraine, and we are not major players there, but we have to be careful, and we have to see where the situation goes there, to look out for what kind of dangers could be there for us in Czechia and Europe.

How do you see the relations between Korea and Czechia developing in the long term? I think a lot has already been done in the past 34 years after establishing our diplomatic relations and opening our countries to each other. But based on what has been done so far and the negotiations on the nuclear deal, I think a lot more opportunities are rising. Once we mutually trust one another enough to enter a nuclear project, it should be a good sign for other businesses and other types of cooperation to strengthen mutual trust. The nuclear project is really going to start a snowball effect not only in that field but in other fields as well.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]