Armenia’s new nuclear power plant to be American, US ambassador hints

The US Embassy’s website published today the Ambassador’s remarks she made on December 8 at the Armenian-American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) meeting.

Kristina Kvien stated that today “U.S.-Armenia relations are deeper and stronger than at any time in our history.”

“Through bold and creative diplomacy, our respective Administrations have succeeded in advancing solutions to challenges that have prevented progress for decades.  This progress will benefit countries from Central Asia to Western Europe. But no country stands to benefit more than Armenia,” the ambassador said.

Kristina Kvien noted that on August 8th President Donald Trump signed three Memoranda of Understanding with Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, “each laying out a vision for our bilateral relationship and Armenia’s role as a regional leader.”

“I am pleased to report that we are already making significant progress on implementing these Memoranda.

The first MOU establishes a comprehensive bilateral energy security partnership.
Its purpose is to enhance Armenia’s energy resilience while modernizing and expanding its energy production. A key aspect of Armenia’s energy security is its civil nuclear capabilities. That’s why the United States and Armenia are currently negotiating what is known as a “123 agreement,” which will enable the United States to export civil nuclear technology to Armenia.

This agreement will facilitate cooperation as Armenia seeks to transition from the Metsamor nuclear reactor to a modern, flexible system. U.S. leadership in the modern nuclear power industry provides numerous opportunities for Armenia to secure its nuclear safety and energy independence in the future,” Kristina Kvien said.