YEREVAN. – No one had the illusion that the operating power unit of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant shall operate forever.

Hayk Harutyunyan, Deputy Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of Armenia, told the abovementioned to reporters at the fifth EU-Armenia subcommittee meeting on energy, transport, environment, climate action and civil protection, which has kicked off Tuesday in capital city Yerevan. 

In his words, as a result of the Armenia-EU talks, it was clearly specified that Armenia shall submit a roadmap toward decommissioning the operating power unit of its nuclear plant.

“We have made considerable investments, and we continue to do so toward safety standards,” said the deputy minister. “Most of the $300-million investments of the program to extend the operation period of the nuclear plant go to the raising of the safety standards. This extension is planned for a ten-year period, after which decommissioning is planned; there is nothing extraordinary here.”

And when asked whether alternative energy can be an alternative to Armenia’s nuclear plant, Harutyunyan responded as follows, in particular: “Nothing can be ruled out.”