OREANDA-NEWS. September 10, 2008. Head of Rosatom Sergey Kiriyenko and Energy and Natural Resources Minister of Armenia Armen Movsissyan have opened the office of Armenian-Russian Mining Company


Director General of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation Sergey Kiriyenko and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Armenia Armen Movsissyan have opened the office of Armenian-Russian Mining Company, joint venture set up by Russia and Armenia in July 2008 for prospecting, mining and processing uranium in the territory of Armenia.

“The JV was registered on July 15 2008. We have already drafted the technical specifications and are waiting for licensing. I think that the JV will start its work in Oct-Nov,” Kiriyenko said. He pointed out that at first they would carry out preliminary geo-physical and geo-chemical surveys while drilling will be started next year after the winter.

The JV will employ mostly local specialists. At the initial stage the company will receive \\$3mln. “By 2010 we will have to have a full picture of Armenia’s uranium reserves,” Kiriyenko said. Russian experts say that, at worst, the JV will meet Armenia’s needs while, at best, it will export uranium abroad.

During his visit to Yerevan Kiriyenko held negotiations on the whole range of issues concerning Armenian-Russian nuclear cooperation, visited Armenian NPP and met with President of Armenia Serzh Sarkissyan.

Kiriyenko said that they had discussed the prospects for building a new nuclear power plant in Armenia and Rosatom was ready to take an active part in that process. He said that they had also agreed to prolong for five years the contract with Inter RAO for management of Armenian NPP.