Armenia doesn't reject Euroatom loan for closing NPP

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia doesn't refuse from a 200 mln euro loan Euroatom is supposed to grant for closing of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant, Lusine Harutyunyan, a spokesperson for the RA Energy Ministry told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.



Presently, Armenia is holding talks on the terms, according to her



Earlier, some media with reference to a source in the government reported that Armenia is going to reject 20 mln euro loan for closing the only nuclear power plant in the republic.



European Commission's Acting Director for Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia, Mr Gunnar Wiegand said recently in Yerevan that the EU insists on soonest closing of the ANPP and the Euroatom is ready to grant a 200 mln euro loan for the purpose.



When in Yerevan, Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran doesn't exclude the possibility of financing construction of a new NPP in Armenia.



The Metsamor NPP consists of two blocks. The first was put into operation in 1976, the second - in 1980. The NPP capacity is 815 megawatt.



After the earthquake in 1988 the USSR government decreed to close the plant.



In November 1995 the NPP was restarted. It processes 2 bln kilowatt-hour annually.