Armenia will soon begin a program to extend the operation of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant by another 10 years, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure David Khudatyan said during a session of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Economic Affairs.

The statement was made while presenting a report on the implementation and results of the Armenian government’s 2021–2026 program for 2025, Armenpress reported.

“Work is underway on the first program to extend the operation of the Armenian nuclear power plant until 2026. In just a few days, the second program will begin, which envisages extending the plant’s operational life by another 10 years. A budget loan of 63.2 billion drams has been allocated from the state budget to the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant,” Khudatyan said.

He also noted that the government continues discussions with several countries and companies on the construction of a new nuclear power unit.

According to the minister, the government has already selected the type of future nuclear power plant, which will be a modular nuclear plant.

Khudatyan added that a specific model is expected to be chosen later this year or at the beginning of 2027, after which the process will move to the next stage.

Earlier, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia is negotiating with several countries — including the U.S., China, France, Russia and South Korea — regarding the construction of a modular nuclear power plant.