BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND IAEA ACCOMPLISH EXTENSIVE PROGRAM ON ATOMIC SECURITY IN ARMENIA

ARKA
Apr 1, 2010

YEREVAN, April 1, /ARKA/. The British government and the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have successfully accomplished an extensive
program on atomic security in Armenia, the UK embassy in Armenia said
in a press release.

It said the U.K. government provided funds in the amount of EURO
1. 5 million as part of Global Risk Reduction program for improvement
of the physical protection of Armenian Metsamor atomic station. The
program has been implemented by IAEA nuclear security foundation.

Tomikhiro Tanaguchi, head of IAEA security programs, welcomed the
accomplishment of this project saying it was the largest such project
implemented by IAEA nuclear security foundation.

"This is the largest program on physical protection that IAEA has
implemented up today, and this is also a new way of cooperation that
IAEA can offer to its member states,’ he was quoted as saying.

The press release also quoted British ambassador to Armenia, Charles
Lonsdale, as saying that he visited the plant a year ago when the
project was launched.

"The program that we have accomplished today will become a best example
of our readiness to assist Armenia in this key area. It would have been
impossible without the assistance of Armenian government and Metsamor
plant director Gagik Markosian,’ the ambassador was quoted as saying.

The program on security improvement of Metsamor atomic station is the
last among the nuclear security programs of the UK, which on the whole,
has extended a support of over 14 million pound sterling to a number
of countries. The 1/4th of that money has been directed to Armenia,
which is the largest beneficiary of the program.