We will act based on our interests in energy sector - Member of  ruling party on demands to close Armenian NPP

ArmInfo. Armenia will act in accordance with its interests in the energy sector. Sargis  Khandanyan, head of the Armenian Parliament's Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, stated in a conversation with reporters on October 3.

Let us recall that the Turkish Parliament, yesterday, on October 2,  appealed to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with a  demand to take measures to close the nuclear power plant operating in  Armenia. The country's legislative body noted that the Armenian  Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is located just 16 kilometers from the  border with Turkey. The Turkish Foreign Ministry, in turn, indicates  that the ANPP is "a risk factor for the entire region." Let us also  recall that on March 2 of this year, receiving IAEA Director General  Rafael Mariano Grossi in Baku, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev  said that the nuclear power plant operating in Armenia poses a "great  nuclear threat" to Azerbaijan, Turkey, Armenia and the entire region.

"If I'm not mistaken, such demands have been received in the past as  well," Khandanyan emphasized. He recalled that the whole world is now  moving to nuclear energy, given the problem with hydrocarbon  resources.

It should be noted that on September 14, the Government of Armenia  approved the Program for extending the operation life of power unit  N-2 of Armenian Nuclear Power Plant CJSC and the Plan for organizing  and implementing the activities provided for in the plan. "Taking  into account the modernization work already carried out, as well as  the opinions of specialized organizations and international  experience in extending the operation life of similar power units, it  is planned that through additional investments/work it will be  possible to extend the design life of the power unit by another 10  years - from 2026 to 2036,"  the document says. It is reported that  the work is planned to be carried out at the expense of loan funds  provided by CJSC (the amount is not specified), which in turn  may entail an increase or decrease in expenses and revenues of the  state budget of the Republic of Armenia.