Clinton in Prague expresses support for Westinghouse bid for Temelín contract

The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, was in Prague for a short visit on Monday to support a bid by the American and Japanese company Westinghouse to complete the Temelín nuclear power station in South Bohemia. Mrs. Clinton met with the Czech prime minister, Petr Necaš, her Czech counterpart, Karel Schwarzenberg, and leaders of the opposition. At a press conference in the Czech capital after meeting with the Czech foreign minister, Mrs. Clinton expressed support for Westinghouse, saying the company was offering the "best technology and security guarantees". The firm is competing for the Temelín deal with Russia's Atomstroyexport (bidding as part of a Russian-Czech consortium). On Monday, Mrs. Clinton also praised Czech-U.S. relations, calling the Czech Republic one of the closest partners of the U.S. in Europe.