ARMENIAN MINISTER SAYS NUCLEAR PLANT SECURITY DRILL SUCCESSFUL

Armenian Second TV Channel
July 24 2008

[Presenter] The Right of Speech program is on air. Minister of
Emergencies Mher Shahgeldyan is the guest of the 4th studio of Armenian
Second TV Channel today.

[Passage omitted: Shahgeldyan answers questions on reforms in the
ministry and future development of a climatic emergencies’ insurance
system for farmers in Armenia and on emergency issues in the republic.]

[Presenter] The Atom-2008 exercises were held lately in Yerevan. Let’s
remind the audience what were these exercises and what was the outcome?

[Shahgeldyan] Those were exercises aimed at, the issue was the
following – if any faults, emissions happen in the operation of the
nuclear power plant, what will be the reaction of our control system,
how the decisions will be made. Representatives of all [government]
agencies took part in these exercises, that is, people who will
specifically work in practice during that period of time. I would like
to say that the exercises were evaluated highly by US experts and the
following was said: exercises were held in about 61 countries, but
we had the best one. But this does not mean of course that we should
sit on our hands, because it is necessary to constantly progress in
this direction. We are able and have the capacity in terms of the
personnel and qualifications of people, and let us try to become a
regional centre as well.