Hungary's parliament voted Tuesday to keep secret for 30 years details of contracts related to a controversial nuclear plant deal with Russia, a move critics said could shield corruption. A planned upgrade of Hungary's sole nuclear plant, which provides 40 percent of the EU member's electricity consumption, is to be financed with a 10-billion-euro ($12-billion) loan from Russia.
The project to expand it is being carried out by Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom and has been seen as an example of Hungary's increasingly close ties with Moscow. Construction is due to start in 2018. Tuesday's vote in parliament - with 130 in favour and 62 against - extends the period of classification from an originally planned 15 years to 30. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party argued the law is needed due to security concerns.