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PM: Armenia agrees to close NPP only if alternative source present

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  • PM: Armenia agrees to close NPP only if alternative source present

    ARKA News Agency, Armenia
    April 7 2006

    PRIME MINISTER: ARMENIA AGREES TO CLOSE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT ONLY IN
    THE PRESENCE OF ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF POWER

    YEREVAN, April 7. /ARKA/. Armenia agrees to close nuclear power plant
    (NPP) only in the presence of alternative sources of power. According
    to the Public Relations and Press Department of the RA Government,
    this was stated by the RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan during
    his meeting with Deputy Director-General for External Relations of
    the European Commission Fokion Fotiadis.
    "Armenia is not against closure of the nuclear power plant, however
    only on the assumption of creation of alternative traditional and
    non-traditional sources of power and guarantee of energy security and
    independence of the country", Margaryan stated.
    In his words, during recent years the RA Government actively
    negotiated not only with international structures for solving this
    problem but also took some steps in this direction, particularly
    promoting construction and exploitation of small hydroelectric power
    plants (HPP) and wind power plants (WPP). "The decision on closing
    the NPP or constructing a new one will become more real in the
    presence of the necessary financing", Margaryan added.
    In his turn Fotiadis emphasized that the EC is ready to support
    Armenia in solving problems of energy security.
    He added that existence of accurate program of closure of the NPP
    will enable the international community better to realize seriousness
    of the problem and envisaged work.
    "It will create favorable conditions for organizing a conference for
    donors with an aim to discuss possibilities of financial assistance
    for solution of this problem", Fotiadis added.
    According to the previous statement of the RA Minister of Energy
    Armen Movsisyan, the project of closure of the Armenian NPP will be
    submitted to the RA Government in 2007. In his words, closure of the
    NPP will cost $300-400 mln. Movsisyan added that submitting of the
    project doesn't mean closure of the plant. "Resource of the Armenian
    NPP expires in 2016. Nevertheless I don't mean that the plant will
    close exactly in 2016", he stated. S.P. -0--
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