French President Jacques Chirac hailed a deal on Tuesday for France to host a €10bn ($12.18bn) experimental nuclear fusion reactor and thanked Japan, its rival for the site, for paving the way to a compromise.

“It is a big success for France, for Europe and for all the partners of Iter,” Mr Chirac said in a statement after agreement was reached in Moscow by officials from the European Union, Russia, China, the United States, Japan, and South Korea.