Turks against Armenian nuclear plant
Chairman of the NA standing committee on defense, national security and domestic affairs Hrair Karapetyan participated in a seminar entitled "The role of parliaments in controlling armament, disarmament and no dissemination of weapons of mass destruction" held within the framework of NATO's "Cooperation for Peace" program from March 31 to April 1.
The seminar was organized by Switzerland's foreign affairs federal department, NATO, the Center for Security Policy in Geneva and the Center for Democratic Control toward the Armed Forces in Geneva.
According to Hrair Karapetyan, during the seminar, the Turkish and Azeri representatives went off topic and touched upon the existing nuclear plant in Armenia and the construction of a new one. They mentioned that the nuclear plant's activities in the seismic zone are causing concerns for the region and called on closing it. They called on the U.S. and the European Union not to support and co-fund the construction of a new nuclear plant. In his speech, Karapetyan touched upon the speculations, mentioning that the existing nuclear plant in Armenia falls in line with international standards and is closely collaborating with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
In response to the Turkish parliamentarian's speech, Mr. Karapetyan mentioned that due to a long blockade by Turkey and Azerbaijan, Armenia is forced to seek alternative sources and to rely on atomic energy. He mentioned that despite being in a seismic zone, Turkey received consent to build an atomic station on March 16.
NATO-member Turkey is also supplying arms to Azerbaijan.
Touching upon the discussion of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict during the Azeri parliamentarian's speech, the NA MP mentioned that the OSCE Minsk Group is involved in the conflict resolution and negotiations are taking place within the framework of the Minsk Group for a peaceful settlement. Karapetyan expressed his concern over Azerbaijan's intensive armament, which is causing a threat for a war in the region.
Mr. Karapetyan underlined that by using its petrol resources, Azerbaijan has increased its military budget by nearly 10 times that of Armenia and that is inacceptable. Mr. Karapetyan says the international community must form an adequate atmosphere for such a working style.
