The Parliament currently discusses the EU-Armenia “Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement” signed on 24 Noyember, 2017. The Agreement was discussed and adopted positively during the joint session of Standing Committee on Foreign Relations and Standing Committee on European Integration.
Deputy Foreign Minister Karen Nazaryan presented the sections of the Agreement, which issues it addresses and what its implications are.
Nazaryan said that one of the innovations of the new Agreement was the establishment of a platform for the civil society which would be composed of representatives from the civil societies of the Republic of Armenia and the European Union. The platform can conduct monitoring and submit its recommendations to the Council and Committee of the Partnership, as well as to the Parliamentary Partnership Committee.
Mikayel Melkumyan, Deputy President of the Parliament, wondered what would happen to the Armenian nuclear power plant: “The issue of the further safety insurance of the Armenian NPP under the Agreement has already been touched, but it is still unclear what measures we are going to take. What obligations should Armenia undertake concerning the NPP if it ratifies the Agreement?”
Karen Nazaryan responded, saying that after signing the Agreement, the Parties commenced the process of publishing it, and it received diverse reactions concerning the NPP as well: “Groundless news about the closure of the NPP emerged and was artificially being circulated. The President of the Republic of Armenia has addressed this issue a number of times. We agreed with the EU to cooperate in the energetic sphere based on the principles of partnership and mutual benefit”. The Deputy Minister said that the point was about adopting an early road map and action plan for the safe exploitation of the Metsamor NPP and not about closing it. According to Nazaryan, it is the request of the Energetic Development Policy of the Republic of Armenia to replace the NPP with a new block.
Melkumyan said if a deactivation schedule for the NPP was to be established, it is very important that the time period is reasonable: “While compiling this schedule, we have to make sure that the deactivation is not conducted prior to the construction of the new reactor”.
