国际英语新闻：France to help nuclear rebirth in Italy

PARIS, April 9 (Xinhua) -- France and Italy signed Friday a string of agreements on nuclear cooperation, under which leading French energy companies will provide technology and professional support to Italy in developing nuclear energy.

Cooperation on nuclear sector dominated the meeting between Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Elysee Palace, when the two leaders presided the signing of 20 agreements, letter of intents and joint declarations.

The Electricite de France (EDF), the state-owned nuclear energy giant of France, and Italy's biggest power company ENEL inked their agreement of a minimum duration of five year.

The agreement laid out the plan to construct at least four nuclear reactors in Italy, the two leaders confirmed at a joint news conference.

Though they didn't detail the locations of the reactors or the timetable of the construction, they said the agreement was "a concrete first step towards maximizing the involvement of the Italian industry in the construction of the nuclear power plants."

The two sides also sign several documents on personnel training and technology share related to nuclear development, and on cooperation in radioprotection.

Italy government abandoned nuclear power development after the disastrous 1986 Chernobyi nuclear leak in Ukraine.

However, as concerns over climate change and energy shortage amounts, the Italy government passed a decree in February allowing the building of new nuclear plants.

The Berlusconi administration has been targeting a goal to generate 25 percent of national electricity from nuclear plants with new reactors to start work by 2020.

Disregarding the governments' ambition, Italian observers said there was a wide-spread skepticism over nuclear projects among Italy public.

The two sides also signed agreements on defense, transport, immigration and culture