Washington did not change attitude towards Armenia –NGO

YEREVAN, December 23. / ARKA /. Armenia’s decision to join the Russia-led Customs Union of three former Soviet republics has not affected United State’s attitude towards Yerevan in particular and the South Caucasus region in general, according to Karen Bekaryan, head of a non-governmental organization called European Integration. 

Speaking at a news conference today he said this became evident after the Vilnius summit of Eastern Partnership program. He said evidence is an Armenia-US agreement whereby Armenia will sell its largest Vorotan hydropower plant in the southern region of Syunik to a US company at the record high $180 million.

"The Vorotan deal is a Washington’s message that its Armenian and the regional agenda did not change,” he said.

The sale of Vorotan hydro power plant to Contour Global, an affiliate of US Contour Global 

Hydrocascade company, was confirmed by Armenia’s public services regulatory commission in late November. 

The news was announced following the meeting of Armenia-US intergovernmental commission in Washington on November 23. The American company was said to have pledged to invest $180 million in Vorotan hydro power plant, the largest over the history of bilateral relations.

Vorotan Cascade located in the south of Armenia is of backbone importance for the country’s energy system. The Cascade consists of three hydro power plants – Spandaryan with installed capacity of 76 megawatt, Shamb (171 megawatt) and Tatev (152.7 megawatt). Armenia’s government is the full owner of the Cascade. -0-