"NUCLEAR ENERGY AND ENERGY SECURITY" 4TH CONFERENCE KICKS OFF IN ARMENIA
ARMENPRESS
MAY 26, 2009
YEREVAN
"Nuclear Energy and Energy Security" 4th conference kicked off today
in Armenia within the frameworks of NATO’s "Science for Peace and
Security" program. Representatives of 14 countries – Armenia, USA,
Russia, Estonia, Georgia, Belgium, Japan, Croatia, Belarus, Ukraine,
Kazakhstan, Spain, Turkmenistan, Romania participate in the conference.
The leaders of the conference – representative of the Armenia’s
"Progressive Science and Technology" center Samvel Apikyan and US
"Brookhaven National Laboratory" member David Diamond noted that this
conference is a new thing in the processes organized by NATO.
S. Apikyan said that the 21st century is a period of energy
challenges. In the recent decades the usage of energy in the world
essentially increased which once again shows that nuclear energy does
not have alternative.
The increase of the usage of energy in the world Apikyan tied with
several factors – development of global economy, unprecedented
growth of the number of population, essential growth of the life
quality. S. Apikyan underscored the organization of the conference,
noting that it has serious importance for Armenia which in that
respect has lack of resources.
According to D. Diamond, the usage of nuclear energy demands solution
of a number of serious issues. Among them he singled out the relative
high price, environment protection, non-dissemination of radioactive
materials, solution of issue of wastes. In case of the solution
of these issues the nuclear energy sphere will have unprecedented
development.
D. Diamond noted that they also discuss the issue of construction
of new nuclear unit in Armenia and a great attention will be paid to
its accordance to international standards. According to D. Diamond,
the ensuring of secure activity of the new unit demands systemic steps.
Armenian deputy energy and natural resources minister Areg Galstyan
noted that after the energy crisis, Armenia has carried out a number
of reforms in this sphere and now it has opportunities of exporting
electricity. In a few days a contract will be signed with the winner
company which will start the process of oversight of the construction
of the new nuclear unit.
US ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch said that US government
pays a great attention to ensuring security of the energy system as
well as to the construction of the nuclear unit.
Among the issues discussed at the conference were the ones connected
with the new models of nuclear units, environment protection, etc.