Russia To Build New Nuclear Plant In Armenia

YEREVAN -- The Armenian government says Russia will build a nuclear power plant in Armenia that will nearly triple the country's current levels of nuclear energy production, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports.

Armenian Energy Minister Armen Movsisian told RFE/RL on October 30 that Armenia welcomes "all those who want to invest as a stakeholder in our future nuclear-energy unit."

The new facility will replace the 1979 nuclear power plant, also operated by Russian nuclear energy agency Rosatom, that is located in the western city of Metsamor.

Rosatom head Sergei Kirienko discussed construction plans for the new plant in a meeting with Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian last week.

The Metsamor plant, operating at a capacity of 400 megawatts, will be shut down by 2017 and replaced with the new unit, which is slated to have a capacity of 1,000 to 1,200 megawatts.