PRO-RUSSIAN POLITICIAN SAYS ARMENIA HANDING NEW ENERGY FACILITIES TO RUSSIA

Armenpress

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, ARMENPRESS: A senior member of Armenian
parliament has dismissed today allegations by a local pro-opposition
newspaper-Haykakan Zhamanak (Armenian Time) that the fifth unit of
the biggest Armenian thermal power plant in central Armenian town of
Hrazdan will be handed over to Russia.

Gagik Minasian, head of a parliament commission on financial and
economic issues, a guest speaker at a discussion on energy security
of Armenia with Aram Karapetian, the leader of pro-Russian Nor
Zhamanakner (New Times) party, described the report as ‘rumors.’
Minasian argued that when construction of Iran-Armenia gas pipeline
would be accomplished, when domestic energy production potential
would be used fully and when the Yerevan thermal power plant would
be modernized and the fifth unit of Hrazdan thermal power plant
would be operative Armenia’s power grid would be diversified and
more independent.

He said all these measures would help increase power production by
power generating facilities other than the nuclear power plant from
current 1.8 billion kilowatt/hours to 3.7 billion in ten years. He
said IAEA experts agree that Armenia needs to replace its Soviet-style
nuclear power plant by a new one.

Construction of a new nuclear power plant would cost more than $1
billion. He argued that the parliament must revise an old law on
atomic energy to allow private investments.

Minasian refrained from denying or confirming rumors that 45 percent
of shares in Iran-Armenia gas pipeline can be sold to Russia, but Aram
Karapetian described it as a ‘forgone conclusion,’ adding that the
fifth unit of Hrazdan plant will also be given to Russia. “If these
facilities should be sold they must be sold to Russians only,’ he said.