Armenia, Russia Sign Protocol on Nuclear Safety Information Exchange

MOSCOW (Armradio) — Russia’s Rosatom state nuclear energy corporation and the Armenian Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources signed a protocol on Tuesday on practical measures to meet commitments on prompt warning about a nuclear accident and the exchange of information on nuclear and radiation safety, TASS reports.

The procedures are envisaged in the inter-governmental agreement on the exchange of information on nuclear and radiation safety between the two countries inked on October 7, 2015.

The accord was signed with a focus on the implementation of recommendations from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It specifies conditions of mutual emergency warnings in matters of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Under the document, the countries permanently exchange information on nuclear and radiation safety at nuclear facilities.

Under the terms of the agreement, once it comes into effect, the parties will draw up practical measures for implementing the commitments they undertook, including deciding the order and the amount of information transferred on a regular basis about the present conditions regarding nuclear and radiation safety at nuclear facilities.

The protocol signing was attended by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Armenia’s Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan, who had arrived in Moscow on a two-day official visit on January 24.

The Russian and Armenian PMs held a private talk which was followed by a meeting in an extended form with the participation of official delegations of the two states.

“We have special allied relations with Armenia and we always have what to discuss,” Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said as he greeted his Armenian counterpart Karen Karapetyan.

Medevedev said he hopes that the documents signed within the framework of the Armenian Prime Minister’s visit will further enhance the development of economic ties.

“Our commodity turnover has been stable, despite the international conjuncture and the change in energy prices,” Dmitry Medvedev said.

“If we speak of our country’s imports and supply of products from Armenia, we stated a 70% growth last year which, to my mind, is the result of Armenia’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union and strengthened economic ties,” he added.

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan said, in turn, that “the meeting is a good opportunity to discuss directions of the Armenian-Russian cooperation.”

“We have been traditionally boasting quite a hectic agenda of bilateral relations. As you noted, our governments have been able to move on amid a complicated international situation faced in recent years. You may know that the Russian capital is widely represented Armenia’s economy. However, I believe that we should not relax, and today we can explore and outline new directions of cooperation,” PM Karapetyan said.

“A series of reforms are underway in Armenia aimed at creating a favorable environment for investors. In this respect, we would highly appreciate the commitment of the Russian capital. We have come along with a number of new proposals, which will allow us to diversify and expand the vectors of cooperation. I am confident, too, that we are in for a constructive conversation,” Karen Karapetyan stated.