At this stage, we are planning to modernise the station and upgrade its safety so that it could operate until alternative sources of energy become available, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said when asked about the Metsamor NPP.

“The nuclear power plant is the backbone of our energy security. Therefore, we cannot close the plant without having an adequate replacement, which could provide for the same level of energy security,» he said in an interview with Euractiv 

He recalled that there is a special provision in the CEPA dealing with Armenian nuclear power. This provision actually says that as a precondition for the closure and safe decommissioning of Medzamor, the need for its replacement with new capacity to ensure the energy security of Armenia and conditions for sustainable development should be taken into consideration.