There are no risks for Italy from Wednesday evening's incident at a nuclear power plant in eastern Slovenia, Italian Environment Minister Stefania Prestigiacomo said on Thursday.
Speaking to the press on her arrival here for a meeting of European Union environment ministers, Prestigiacomo added that there had been ''excessive alarmism'' over the incident.
An emergency warning was issued in Europe after a leak was discovered in the main cooling system at a nuclear plant in Krsko, come 130 km from the northeast Italian city of Trieste.
The plant was shut down as a precautionary measure and to allow experts time to determine the cause of the leak and to carry out repairs.
Despite assurances from officials that no radioactive substances were released in the leak, the incident prompted a wave of protests by anti-nuclear groups.
Austria criticised Slovenia for not immediately reporting the incident as a leak but as an ''exercise'' at the plant.
