ISSUE OF NEW ARMENIAN NPP OUT OF DISCUSSION AT NATO CONFERENCE IN YEREVAN
By A. Haroutiunian

AZG Armenian Daily
04/05/2007

"Prevention, Disclosure and Resistance to Nuclear and Radioactive
Hazards" second conference within the framework of the "Science for
Peace" NATO programs was held in Yerevan, yesterday. The Armenian
Advanced Science and Technology Center organized the conference in
collaboration with the USA-based Brookhaven National Laboratory and
the US State Department.

Samvel Apikian, head of the Armenian Advanced Science and Technology
Center, informed that the leading scientists from USA, Armenia, Russia
and from over a dozen of other countries touched upon the issues of
nuclear and radiation terrorism. It’s worth mentioning that scientists
from Georgia, Ukraine, Byelorussia and several Middle Asia republics
also participated in the conference, except for the scientists from
Turkey and Iran.

As for the construction of a new NPP in Armenia, Samvel Apikian
said that the issue wasn’t included in the agenda of the conference,
while the Iranian issue may pass some backstage discussions.

The Armenian experts state that the approach to the NPP’s has
changed for two reasons. Firstly, the NPPs normally function and
their technologies are quite trustworthy. Secondly, the contemporary
NPP models may secure higher safety for the environment. "As for
Armenia, we have no other alternative and one should take into
account the fact that the Metsamor NPP has been functioning safely
for many years. Besides, he said that we have quite an efficient
scientific-technical potential and we are in urgent need of our NPP,"
Apikian said. At the same time he emphasized that from the viewpoint
of the security, both the American and the Russian NPP models are
quite perfect.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress