Armenia and IAEA ready to expand cooperation
13.02.2020,
11:03
Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, who is in Austria on a working visit, met Wednesday with Rafael Grossi, Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the press office of the foreign ministry reports. Hakob Vardanyan, the Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia, also participated in the meeting.
YEREVAN, February 13. /ARKA/. Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, who is in Austria on a working visit, met Wednesday with Rafael Grossi, Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the press office of the foreign ministry reports. Hakob Vardanyan, the Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia, also participated in the meeting.
Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said that Armenia, being an advocate of peaceful use of nuclear energy, attaches great importance to the cooperation with the IAEA. The sides highly appreciated the effective cooperation between Armenia and IAEA and expressed their readiness to make joint efforts to outline new horizons of cooperation and to make full use of the existing potential.
In the course of the meeting, the sides touched upon a number of issues on the agenda of coօperation between Armenia and IAEA, in particular the issues of operational safety of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant (MNPP), development of nuclear energy and issues of nuclear safety. The IAEA director general highly appreciated ongoing reforms implemented by Armenia aimed at increasing security in the sphere of nuclear energy.
The minister emphasized the importance of peaceful use of nuclear energy in terms of economic development and energy security of Armenia. In this context, the two sides underscored effective cooperation between Armenia and the Agency on peaceful use of nuclear energy in the field of healthcare.
In the context of peaceful use of nuclear energy, the interlocutors exchanged views on international and regional developments.
The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant, the only nuclear power plant in South Caucasus region, is located some 30 kilometers west of Yerevan. It was built in the 1970s but was closed following a devastating earthquake in 1988. One of its two VVER 440-V230 light-water reactors was reactivated in 1995. Armenian authorities said they will build a new nuclear power unit to replace the aging facility. The plant currently generates some 35 percent of Armenia's electricity.
In March 2014, Armenian government decided to extend the plant’s service life because of delay in building a new unit. The service life extension has become possible thanks to Russia’s financial resources. The country provides $270 million to Armenia as loan and $30 million in grants. The modernization was launched in 2019 and is expected to be completed in late 2021. -0----
Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said that Armenia, being an advocate of peaceful use of nuclear energy, attaches great importance to the cooperation with the IAEA. The sides highly appreciated the effective cooperation between Armenia and IAEA and expressed their readiness to make joint efforts to outline new horizons of cooperation and to make full use of the existing potential.
In the course of the meeting, the sides touched upon a number of issues on the agenda of coօperation between Armenia and IAEA, in particular the issues of operational safety of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant (MNPP), development of nuclear energy and issues of nuclear safety. The IAEA director general highly appreciated ongoing reforms implemented by Armenia aimed at increasing security in the sphere of nuclear energy.
The minister emphasized the importance of peaceful use of nuclear energy in terms of economic development and energy security of Armenia. In this context, the two sides underscored effective cooperation between Armenia and the Agency on peaceful use of nuclear energy in the field of healthcare.
In the context of peaceful use of nuclear energy, the interlocutors exchanged views on international and regional developments.
The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant, the only nuclear power plant in South Caucasus region, is located some 30 kilometers west of Yerevan. It was built in the 1970s but was closed following a devastating earthquake in 1988. One of its two VVER 440-V230 light-water reactors was reactivated in 1995. Armenian authorities said they will build a new nuclear power unit to replace the aging facility. The plant currently generates some 35 percent of Armenia's electricity.
In March 2014, Armenian government decided to extend the plant’s service life because of delay in building a new unit. The service life extension has become possible thanks to Russia’s financial resources. The country provides $270 million to Armenia as loan and $30 million in grants. The modernization was launched in 2019 and is expected to be completed in late 2021. -0----
