EU calls on Armenia to close nuclear plant

YEREVAN - Anatolia News Agency

Closure of the plant is an important issue on the agenda of Armenia-EU relations. AFP photo

The European Union has called on Armenia to halt operations at the country’s Metsamor nuclear plant due to safety concerns.

“We are still concerned about the use of the nuclear power plant. We have appealed to the government of Armenia, asking it to develop a program. We are ready to negotiate the alternative solutions on how to ensure its energy security after the plan is shut down,” said Traian Hristea, the head of the European Union Delegation in Armenia, said in a recent report titled “European Neighborhood Policy on Armenia.”

Hristea said the issue of the use of the Metsamor nuclear power plant was one of the main issues on the agenda of Armenia-EU relations.

The plant was built in 1970 and is situated in an earthquake zone just 25 kilometers from the Turkish border. Metsamor is a major concern for neighboring countries, and analysts say Turkey, Iran and Azerbaijan would be the most affected by an accident at the plant.

The nuclear plant was closed in 1988, during the Soviet era, after a devastating earthquake centered on Gyumri killed around 25,000 people. Metsamor resumed operations in 1995.