ArmInfo. Theoretically, replacing the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) with US mobile nuclear multiple-unit reactors is comparable to replacing an aircraft carrier with medieval caravels.
Georgy Asatryan, Deputy Director of the Institute of World Military Economy and Strategy at the National Research University Higher School of Economics and Associate Professor at the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, stated this during a Yerevan-Moscow video conference on "US Strategy in and around the South Caucasus."
Commenting on US Vice President J.D. Vance's statement about the completion of negotiations between Armenia and the US on a civil nuclear energy agreement, Asatryan expressed his belief that this situation indicates a serious social crisis in Armenia, noting that even the American press hasn't mentioned such deals. "Replacing the region's largest nuclear power plant, a true achievement of Soviet scientific thought, with experimental mobile nuclear technology will likely only appeal to a certain segment of society, willing to swallow it and even pay for the loss of the country's competitive advantage. It's unclear how the situation will develop, but in my opinion, it highlights the irrationality and low level of the political elite taking such steps, as well as the challenging circumstances faced by the general population. It also demonstrates the Trump administration's adept business diplomacy," the expert noted.
He clarified that, in reality, the interests of certain large American companies, supported by the US administration, are behind this. "In five or six years, or after US President Donald Trump leaves office, it's not a fact that these projects will even be remembered. That is, these aren't even the interests of the Trump administration, but rather the interests of the capitalists who have influence over him and are promoting their products to countries with less-than-successful political systems," Asatryan concluded.
