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Turkish Minister Says Armenian Nuclear Plant Security Improvement Slow

Posted on: Monday, 21 November 2005, 15:00 CST

Text of report in English by Turkish news agency Anatolia

Ankara 21 November: Turkish State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin has indicated on Monday [21 November] that the improvement of Metzamor nuclear power plant in Armenia is going on extremely slowly.

Sahin answered a motion with question from Dursun Akdemir, a Motherland Party (Anavatan) deputy from northeastern city of Igdir, on the accidents that took place at Metzamor nuclear power plant and their impacts on Turkey and neighbouring countries.

Sahin remarked that, based on investigations by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the 1990s, many problems exist with the operation of Metzamor nuclear power plant.

"The United States, European Union and Russian Federation have all provided financial and technical assistance to Armenia so that all problems associated with Metzamor nuclear power plant are eradicated," stated Sahin.

"There is some improvement at the Metzamor nuclear power plant. However, the plant has not reached a point of utmost security. The Turkish Atomic Energy Agency (TAEK) has analysed the technical properties of Metzamor nuclear power plant and its geography and has made a list of things to do in case of a new accident at the plant," noted Sahin.

According to Sahin, a Regional Radioactivity Measurement and Analysis Laboratory is about to be established in Igdir soon.

The nuclear power station is about 25 km (16 miles) outside the Armenian capital Yerevan near the border with Turkey.

Source: BBC Monitoring European

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