RFE/RL – Pashinian Signals Support For Russian Nuclear Proposal

Pashinian has repeatedly said before that his government made a strategic decision to replace the aging nuclear plant at Metsamor with a facility equipped with small modular reactors (SMRs), a new and relatively untested technology.

The government has discussed the possibility of building such a facility with the current and former U.S. administrations. Visiting Yerevan in February this year, U.S. Vice President JD Vance finalized with Pashinian an agreement on U.S.-Armenian cooperation on nuclear energy.

“American technology is going to be coming to this country … That means up to $5 billion in initial U.S. exports, plus an additional $4 billion in long-term support through fuel and maintenance contracts,” Vance announced, clearly alluding to the construction of the new Armenian nuclear plant.

Russian officials expressed concern at such a prospect in the following days. Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, claimed that an SMR plant in Armenia would pose an environmental threat to not only the South Caucasus but also his country.

“I have previously stated that we need nothing other than a modular nuclear power plant; that has been our position,” Pashinian told reporters. “But now … we need to realize that in all likelihood a modular plant won’t be enough for us.”

Armenia is increasingly experiencing a shortage of electricity because of the ongoing construction and expansion of AI data centers, he said when asked about his talks with Rosatom’s Director General Alexei Likhachev held in Yerevan on Tuesday.

Likhachev said after the talks that the Russian nuclear giant is ready to build a new nuclear reactor in Armenia that would be more than twice as powerful as Metsamor’s sole functioning reactor meeting about one-third of the country’s energy needs. Pashinian’s remarks suggest that he is now more open to such a solution. He did not comment on its possible cost for Armenia.

Pashinian told the Rosatom chief that Yerevan will decide “soon” which foreign country or company should implement its ambitious nuclear project.

Some Armenian opposition leaders and other critics of Pashinian question his commitment to the project. They claim that he is actually intent on ending Armenia’s reliance on nuclear energy under pressure from Azerbaijan and Turkey.