ARMENIAN ATOMIC POWER PLANT WILL NOT BE CLOSED IN 2004

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian Atomic Power Plant will not be closed in 2004. President of Armenia Robert Kocharian stated it in an interview to "Kommersant" newspaper. In his words, the question of closing the station is raised because of its old type, "which makes spend more funds for security." Kocharian reported the European Union plays an active role in rendering financial aid to Armenia. "In our time we have pledged EU to close the station in 2004, but this issue was connected with creation of power substitutes and alternative sources of electric power, for which much means were expected to be assigned by EU", - the President said. But he noted, "in spite Armenia accurately fulfills its obligations, the problems of financing the closure of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant and creation of alternative sources of energy are not solved yet and will hardly be solved before 2004". Thus, in R.Kocharian's words, the closure of the station is postponed till 2007-2008, "then little time will remain till exhaustion of the natural resource". "In the future, extension of the resource of the station for a few years may be concerned, which also implies much investments", - the President noted.