ArmInfo. Whether the Armenian authorities will agree to Russia's proposal to build a new nuclear power plant unit will depend on who is in power in the country. Samvel Karapetyan, leader of the "Strong Armenia" bloc, stated this in a conversation with journalists on October 9 after a court hearing.
He also clarified that Armenia currently has no other alternative. "I'll put it this way: if Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan remains in power, where will he go? There is no other option. There is a specific option that works in many countries around the world, and there is an option that doesn't work anywhere yet. Which one should we choose then?" Karapetyan asked rhetorically.
He also commented on the Russian side's statement about the risk of electricity shortages in Armenia if AI data centers are expanded and fully launched in Armenia. Karapetyan stated that he also sees similar risks. "In this case, Armenia could face serious problems," the politician noted.
Overall, according to the bloc leader, Pashinyan is pursuing simultaneously pro-Russian, pro-Azerbaijani, and pro-Turkish policies. "We rely only on the Armenian people, and Pashinyan relies on everyone—the leaders of all countries. We are following our own path. I don't need anyone's approval to fight for our country and our people," Karapetyan stated.
According to the politician, Russia has developed good relations specifically with the Armenian people, whose representative Pashinyan currently represents. "I don't think he has managed to build good relations with the Russian side." "If that were the case, there wouldn't be any restrictions today," the leader of the Strong Armenia bloc noted.
Speaking about how the opposition intends to remove Pashinyan from power, Karapetyan stated that he cannot reveal his plans, as this could lead to failure. "Let us move forward step by step. They have a legitimacy problem, and we intend to expose this problem. This will happen once and for all," Karapetyan concluded.
As a reminder, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated in an interview with Infocom that the development of high technologies and the growing number of AI factories in Armenia are inclining the government to build a new, powerful nuclear power plant. He explained that a year ago, when speaking about the development of the nuclear industry in the country, he was leaning toward the construction of small modular plants, but life is making its own adjustments, and it is already clear that the development of these industries will soon create an electricity shortage in the country. According to the prime minister, the final decision on the construction of a new, powerful nuclear power plant should be made in 2027 in order to complete it by the end of the existing ANPP's operation. Pashinyan did not specify which country would build it, as the issue is still under consideration.
It should be noted that the Rosatom state corporation is offering the Armenian side the construction of a new nuclear power plant with a capacity of 1 GW. On September 29, in a conversation with journalists in Yerevan, Rosatom head Alexey Likhachev announced that the Armenian government had received an offer to build a 1,000-watt unit using the best VVER-1000 design.
