The reactor complex will allow Bolivia to conduct fundamental and applied scientific research, which will support development of a number of economic sectors, including the lithium industry.

The EU’s 27 members are divided. Central and eastern European countries that have their own nuclear expansion ambitions are supporting France while non-nuclear powers including Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Austria, are backing Germany.

The board of directors of Orano has approved an investment of some EUR1.7 billion (USD1.8 billion) to raise the production capacity of the Georges Besse II (GB-II) uranium enrichment plant at the Tricastin site in southern France by more than 30%.

Besides climate change, amid today’s geopolitical challenges, countries increasingly recognize that nuclear energy is a key contributor to the security of energy supply.

Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire faced a difficult decision between maintaining France as an attractive investment destination and maintaining sovereignty over strategic technology, but finally decided to veto the takeover.

"Building on the collaboration in April in Sapporo, Japan, during the G7 Climate, Energy and Environment Ministers meeting and Business Forum, we stand ready to work together with policymakers to rebuild leadership in nuclear energy within OECD countries and to cooperate with other like-minded nations as they seek to meet their climate and energy security goals."

“Any sudden changes to LNG supply or demand in Asia or the Americas could easily have a domino effect into Britain and Europe.”

The session was the final one of the two day gathering of more than 700 people from the global nuclear sector, where the discussion has covered issues ranging from financing new nuclear, to how the industry will be able to recruit and train enough staff for the proposed expansion of nuclear energy in the years ahead.

CNNC said the recent achievement “once again broke the operation record of China's nuclear fusion devices based on magnetic confinement, overcoming many technical challenges”. It added: “This milestone holds great importance in China's nuclear fusion energy development, signifying a crucial step forward in the research of high-performance nuclear fusion plasma operation.

Two more countries - Zimbabwe and Ethiopia - have signed agreements with Russia to cooperate on the peaceful use of nuclear technology on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum, which has been taking place in St Petersburg.