Armenia, US enter key phase in nuclear power plant negotiations

Negotiations on constructing a new nuclear power plant between Armenia and the United States have entered a substantive phase.

Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan made the statement at the conference "RA-Eastern Partnership-EU: Challenges and Opportunities," Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

"Discussions are underway with the US on the legal basis, without which we cannot move forward. At the moment, I can say that the ball is in US court. We expect that the internal procedures in the US will be finalized, after which we will start working," Grigoryan said.

He noted that the issue of constructing the nuclear power plant is considered within the framework of long-term cooperation with the United States, while Yerevan and Washington are also working to develop cooperation in the short term. According to the secretary of the Security Council, Armenia has had great success in the issues of diversification of security, which cannot be said about the economy.

Armenia has sufficient capabilities to counter possible threats in the future, and there are many tools here, Grigoryan added.

Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Armenia is holding talks with Russia and the United States on constructing a new nuclear power plant in the country.

An Armenian delegation will soon leave for the United States to familiarize itself with the capabilities of modular reactors on site. At the same time, Maria Longhi, the US State Department's Coordinator of Government Assistance Programmes for Europe and Eurasia, said that the US is considering possibly building small modular nuclear reactors in Armenia.

In November 2022, Armenia signed a memorandum with Rosatom on the construction of a new nuclear power plant unit in the republic, and work is underway on a preliminary feasibility study of the project.