Brussels, May 16 (QNA) - The Belgian Parliament voted on Friday by a large majority to extend the operation of the country's nuclear reactors, effectively canceling the planned phase-out scheduled for 2025.

The vote passed with 102 in favor, 8 against, and 31 abstentions.

Under the decision, the government led by Prime Minister Bart De Wever plans to build new nuclear reactors to boost national energy production.

Belgium currently operates seven nuclear reactors across two sites, although three have already been shut down.

The country decided in 2003 to phase out nuclear energy by 2025, but political concerns over energy security delayed implementation.

The Russia-Ukraine war, which sharply reduced Russian gas exports to Europe in 2022, prompted many European countries, including Belgium, to rethink their energy policies.

Belgium began negotiations to extend the lifespan of its last two reactors, built in 1985, for an additional ten years until 2035.

In Germany, Belgian nuclear plants built in the 1970s and 1980s remain controversial due to structural defect reports, prompting the city of Aachen to call for their closure. (QNA)