No Official Proposal To Discuss Turkey’s Involvement In NPP Construc

NO OFFICIAL PROPOSAL TO DISCUSS TURKEY’S INVOLVEMENT IN NPP CONSTRUCTION RECEIVED IN ARMENIA

ARKA
March 20, 2009

YEREVAN, March 20. /ARKA/. Armenia has not received any official
proposal to discuss Turkey’s possible involvement in the construction
project for a new nuclear-power plant (NPP) in Armenia, said RA
Minister of Energy Armen Movsisyan.

RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stated earlier that some percentage
of shares of the new NPP would probably be offered for public
subscription. He did not rule out that all those interested in the
project would be able to purchase shares. The Premier also expressed
the confidence that great interest in the project is shown in Turkey
and Greece.

"The construction of the new NPP will be started after a transparent
international contest, and any country, including Turkey, can be
involved," he told reporters.

He pointed out that the issue of transparency of the contest for
various countries and individuals was discussed.

"A decision was made which allowed all the interested parties to
take part in the construction of the new NPP in Armenia," Movsisyan
said. He pointed out that this idea implies the interested parties’
sharing in the NPP.

Armenia plans the construction of a 1,000 MW NPP. The RA Ministry
of Energy estimates the project at $5bln. In 2006, the RA Parliament
abolished government monopoly of nuclear power plants for the attra
ction of foreign investment in the project.

Armenia and Turkey have no diplomatic relations. The Armenian-Turkish
border was closed in 1993 on official Ankara’s initiative. Turkey sets
a number of preconditions for the establishment of bilateral relations
– Armenia’s abandoning the policy of getting the Armenian Genocide
internationally recognized and recognizing Turkey’s present-day
borders.