Armenia could serve as testing ground for untested American  technologies -Maria Zakharova 

ArmInfo. No precise details were provided regarding the announced $9 billion project to build American small modular reactors in Armenia. This was stated by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova during a weekly  briefing on February 12, in response to a request for comment.

In this regard, she stated that after these decisions, out of  personal curiosity, she decided to inquire about these reactors.

At the same time, Zakharova noted that a number of Armenian media  outlets rushed to present this news as "unprecedented Washington  investments" in the republic's economy. "I just want to say that the  most important thing is to use the unprecedented in the sense that  nothing like this has ever happened before, and never will. Because  in reality, it turns out that it's not the Americans who are being  asked to pay for all this, but Yerevan. Moreover, as was stated, the  funds will be channeled through the yet-to-be-created TRIPP fund,  which is supposedly being conceived for other infrastructure  projects. So, it's all very murky," she noted.

Zakharova also discussed energy issues and energy matters in detail,  drawing attention to materials on the construction of a nuclear power  plant, which the Russian side regularly discussed with Yerevan at  various levels. She noted that the Russian state corporation Rosatom  also regularly comments on this topic, and that Russian Deputy  Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin previously commented on the  parameters of Moscow's possible participation in the TRIPP (Trump  Route for International Peace and Prosperity) project.

"Of course, Armenia is free to work with any partners it deems  necessary. However, the choice of American technology raises  questions. The small nuclear power plants proposed and proposed by  Washington do not exist, let alone in the United States. They don't  exist at all. They exist only on paper," she noted, adding that she  tried to find places to "see these energy wonders" but couldn't find  any. The Russian diplomat also noted that, according to experts, the  final cost of such a plant for clients could be significantly higher  than the estimated cost featured in advertising brochures. According  to Zakharova, it's a well-known fact that the project to build small  modular reactors in the United States was shelved in 2024 after costs  jumped from an initial $5 billion to $10 billion.

"There are some estimates that Armenia will essentially be used, at  its own expense, as a testing ground for American technologies that  are essentially unproven." Experts immediately asked another  question: "What will happen to the waste?" "Where will they be  buried? On Armenian territory, in the Armenian Highlands?" the  Russian diplomat noted.

Zakharova then proposed returning to Russia and energy cooperation  with Armenia. "We have been Yerevan's reliable partner in the nuclear  industry for decades. I'll even remind you of the facts: in 1995,  Russia helped restore and restart the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant.  Throughout these years, our country has supported its operation-with  maintenance and fuel supplies. With our assistance, a project to  extend its service life until 2026 was implemented, thanks to which  the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant is operating today. We are currently  working together on another project, another extension of the plant's  life until 2036. And I would like to note that Russia is the only  country that already operates a small-capacity nuclear power plant,"  the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry noted.

She also emphasized that the Russian side has repeatedly offered its  partners proven Russian solutions across all plant capacity ranges:  small, medium, and large. According to her, the Russian side has  demonstrated options whereby nuclear energy retains a significant  role in the republic's energy balance, thereby contributing to energy  sovereignty. "The competitive advantages of domestic technologies  have been presented to the Armenian side on numerous occasions. The  most recent instance, for example, was on February 6 during a meeting  between Rosatom head Alexey Likhachev and Armenian Parliament Speaker  Alen Simonyan during his official visit to the Russian Federation. We  have discussed this issue repeatedly during meetings of the bilateral  intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation, and given the  nature of bilateral relations between our countries, we are ready to  explore preferential financial models. We have repeatedly spoken to  the Armenian side about this. These proposals remain on the table,"  Zakharova emphasized.

As a reminder, the possibility of constructing several small modular  nuclear reactors with a capacity of 50- 60 MW was previously  discussed in Armenia. Moreover, their construction in several regions  of the country was even considered. However, one of the most  significant challenges in this area is the lack of reactor management  skills among Armenian nuclear scientists. Previously, Gera Sevikyan,  Advisor to the Director General of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant,  told ArmInfo that a fundamental decision had been made to build a new  unit in the country using the Russian TOI reactor with a capacity of  1,200 MW.  However, as Gnel Sanosyan, Minister of Territorial  Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia,  subsequently noted, constructing a unit of such capacity is fraught  with problems, since the capacity of Armenia's entire energy system  remains the same: 1,200 MW. Later, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan announced that the country had made a fundamental decision  to build a modular nuclear reactor. Moreover, according to Armenian  authorities, the country of production for the modular nuclear power  plant will be determined in 2026-2027.