Ambassador: Belarus and Armenia are likely to sign intergovernmental agreement of cooperation in peaceful uses of atomic energy

ArmInfo. Belarus and Armenia are likely to sign an intergovernmental agreement of cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of atomic energy, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Republic of Armenia Igor Nazaruk told ArmInfo's correspondent. 

"As far as I know, the intergovernmental commission will meet in mid-February in Yerevan and the agreement will be signed during that meeting," the diplomat said. In his words, it will be a framework agreement aimed to prepare the staff, exchange experience in radioactive waste, transportation, collection and storage.

"In fact, we have many efforts to exert in the field of nuclear energy. Armenia has a nuclear power plant and accumulated enough experience in the field, and Belarus is in the active phase of erecting its own nuclear power plant. I think experts and specialists have much to discuss in the field. Only cooperation will bring a result," the diplomat said.  Earlier Ambassador Nazaruk said in an interview with ArmInfo that the energy sector is the second component of the economic success after finance. To achieve energy balance, it is important to develop own generating capacities.  "Belarus experiences certain deficit of such capacities, therefore, we partially import electric power. We are thinking much of alternative energy.

However, to implement relevant decisions, favorable natural environment is needed: bright and 'long' sun, stable dominant wind, turbulent rivers, geothermal sources etc.  Unfortunately, we cannot make boast of all this. We have only 2 ways to choose: either to develop clean coal technologies, oil and gas burning technologies or focus on the uses of peaceful atomic energy. We have no sufficient hydrocarbons, while the world prices of hydrocarbons will be just rising, as these are exhaustible resources. The conclusion offers itself: we can get sufficient energy capacities only through use of fissionable materials. The decision to build a nuclear power plant was very painful for our country after the Chernobyl disaster.  Despite this, we have overcome our phobias in due course and together with our Russian partners from Rosatom SC we embarked on development of our own program of peaceful atom as an alternative to the use of traditional organic sources of energy.

There were discussions and debates. Eventually, we have chosen the safest site for the construction of the existing three options.  Then we needed to decide who to rely upon, who has the safest technology.  Russia turned out to have the safest, cheapest and optimal technology. Now, we are at an active phase of the implementation of the Belarus NPP construction project. We plan to finish the construction of the first power unit by 2018. I assure you that it will be put into exploitation timely. It is very important that it will increase our technological sustainability. Secondly, we will be less dependent on the world prices of hydrocarbons, " the diplomat said. He spotlighted that a Belarus-Armenia agreement of cooperation in peaceful uses of atomic energy has been prepared with the construction of the NPP. 

The agreement provides for cooperation of specialists and experts in all phases: starting from design and construction activities up to storage of radioactive waste. The personal training is in the focus of attention too.  Construction of a new power unit of the Armenian NPP, probably on the same Russian technology, is on agenda. "So far, as far as I know, Rosatom offers the best option. As for the Belarus-Armenia relations in the field, they will rely on the experience of the sides and the resources of the Russian side, of course.  Russia has made a significant progress in the field - Russia's nuclear industry is 70-year-old - and it is very important to adopt that experience and share it for the common safety and economic welfare," Ambassador Nazaruk said.

Belarus NPP- is a project of construction of a nuclear power plant of the NPP -2006 type, located 18km from Ostrovets (Grodo region). On March 15 2011, during the visit of then prime minister Vladimir Putin to Minsk, an agreement of cooperation in the construction of the NPP was signed. Russia agreed to provide a US$10 billion loan to Belarus for that purpose. The first power unit is anticipated to be built in 2018, the second - in 2020. The key partner of Belarus in the NPP project is "Atomstroyexport" Russian company.  The subcontractors are the Belarusian industrial organizations.  The payback period of the project may total 15-20 years. On July 7, 2015, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko approved the Belarus-Armenia Intergovernmental of Cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of atomic energy as a basis of talks. The energy ministry of Belarus is authorized to conduct talks with Armenia and sign the agreement. 

To note, the Armenian NPP consists of two power units with the capacity of 400 megawatt each. But only one of these two power units is operating at present. The first unit was commissioned in 1976, the second one in 1980. At the beginning of 1989, the plant was decommissioned following the Spitak earthquake in December 1988. In early 1995 the second unit was re-launched. The ANPP's power output makes up nearly 40% of the total power generated in the republic. The lifetime of the unit expires in late 2016. At present measures are being taken to prolong the lifespan of the Armenian NPP till 2027. In 2014 Armenia and Russia signed in Moscow an agreement implying provision of 270 mln USD loan to Armenia for 15 years at 3% p.a. In addition, Russia will grant 30 mln USD to Armenia for the same purposes.

According to the National Statistical Service of Armenia, the foreign trade turnover of Armenia and Belarus for Jan-Nov 2015 increased by 2.4% to $37,3 million versus 36.4 million a year ago, amid 41.9% decline of exports and 15.6% growth of import.