Nuclear Forensics Laboratory opens in ArmeniaJanuary 18, 2013 - 13:33 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - On January 18, U.S. ambassador John A. Heffern joined officials from the Armenian Ministry of Energy and National Security Service to open the Armenian Nuclear Forensics Laboratory at the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP). The U.S. Department of State’s Preventing Nuclear Smuggling Program (PNSP) partnered with the ANPP to establish a Laboratory for Technical and Forensic Analysis of Nuclear and Radioactive Materials as part of a joint effort to strengthen Armenian capabilities to respond to the transnational threat of nuclear smuggling. The laboratory will allow Armenia to collect nuclear and radiologically contaminated evidence at crime scenes and perform technical analysis necessary to support the prosecution of smugglers. New opportunities will arise for Armenia to cooperate with governments investigating illicit uses of nuclear material. Additionally, the facility will advance aspects of the 2010 Nuclear Security Summit work plan discussed at the 2012 summit in the Republic of Korea, the embassy’s press service reported. PNSP is a U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, Office of Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism (ISN/WMDT) program. PNSP is working globally to counter nuclear smuggling. Improving nuclear forensics best practices and cooperation enables countries to counter nuclear smuggling by furthering their ability to determine material origin and prosecuting smugglers. Top stories Yerevan has dismissed Turkey’s demand to shut down the Armenian nuclear power plant as “inappropriate”. Armenia will loan 2.9 billion drams to Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh), according to a draft government decision. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan has “strongly condemned” Armenia’s decision. Kerobyan has said that for the first time in the history of Armenia, the volume of foreign direct investments amounted to about $1 billion. Partner news | Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. Aram I supports Karekin II’s “patriotic position” Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I has expressed support for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. |