NEW RADIATION SAFETY STANDARDS TO BE INTRODUCED IN ARMENIA ON JULY 1, 2007

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Aug. 18, 2006

YEREVAN, August 18. /ARKA/. New radiation safety standards are to
be introduced in Armenia on July 1, 2007, Head of the Nuclear and
Radiation Safety Inspection Ashot Martirosyan told reporters. He said
that at its sitting today the Armenian Government is to approve the
new standards.

"The period left until July 1, 2007, will be used for necessary
preparations," he said. Martirosyan stated that the standards have
been elaborated in conformity with the requirements of IAEA and WHO.

Stricter radiation safety requirements will be set to nuclear-power
facilities and to the population. Specially, the radiation level for
employees of enterprises and organizations using sources of nuclear
energy has been reduced from 5 Rem to 2 Rem, and for the population
from 0.5 Rem to 0.2 Rem.

"The document also separates the responsibility and competence of
relevant bodies," Martirosyan said.

He reported that advanced experience of Russia, the USA and European
countries was used in the elaboration of the standards.

He pointed out that 2 Rem is not at all a reduction of the radiation
level because it is extremely low in Armenia’s enterprises and doe
not even reach the standards set. P.T. -0–