Bulgaria's National Electric Company (NEC) and Atomstroyexport signed the main contract for the construction of Belene nuclear power plant (NPP), the press offices of NEC and Atomstroyexport announced.

The contract for the design, construction and installation of blocks 1 and 2 of the Belene NPP was signed in the presence of Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov and Russian president Vladimir Putin, Dnevnik dialy said.

The major international subcontractors for Russian Atomstroyexport were French Areva and Germany's Siemens.

The contract was signed by chief executive director of NEC Lyubomir Velkov and managing director of NEC Mardik Papazyan and from Russian side by the president of Atomstroyexport Sergei Shmatko.

The contract was worth 3 997 260 000 euro. The two block would have a total power of 2000 MWh.