Zakharova does not rule out  Armenian  Prime Minister`s   participation in  "World Atomic Week"

ArmInfo.  Maria Zakharova, the  Russian Foreign Ministry representative, did not rule out the participation of  Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan in the  international forum "World Atomic Week" in Moscow from September 25  to 28. She stated this during her weekly press briefing.

"We are carrying out serious preparatory work, invitations to the  leaders of states have been sent in advance, and we have already  received responses from some of them. We do not rule out the arrival  of the Prime Minister of Armenia. But we need to confirm this, by  contacting officials in Yerevan," the representative of the Russian  Foreign Ministry said. At the same time, she pointed out the Armenian  side's interest  in continuing productive bilateral cooperation with  the Russian Federation in  peaceful atom.

In this regard, Zakharova recalled that Rosatom is carrying out work  in Armenia to extend the operating life of the nuclear power plant  until 2036. "New generation issues are being discussed. We understand  that the partners want to approach this issue thoroughly, to assess  all possible options," she noted.

According to Zakharova, the management of Rosatom is in regular  contact and dialogue with the government of Armenia. In this vein,  she pointed out that Russia is ready for various scenarios and has  the whole range -from small modular reactors to a new large modern  station. "Russia, unlike, for example, what the United States is  promoting, relies on proven and tested developments," she added.

Additionally, Zakharova highlighted the ongoing attempts of  ill-wishers to discredit Russian-Armenian cooperation in the nuclear  sphere and based on unfounded allegations that the Metsamor nuclear  power plant operating in Armenia may soon be out of service and that  it poses a serious threat. The representative of the Russian Foreign  Ministry noted the following: "I will simply remind you that the  Metsamor nuclear power plant was built specifically for Armenia,  taking into account the seismological and climatic features of the  Republic. The safety of the plant has been repeatedly confirmed by  the IAEA. Experts, including Armenians, understand well where the  propaganda and  Western fakes are, where the nuclear industry is  experiencing hard times, to put it mildly, and where there are real  and reliable solutions that are happily accepted and applied   throughout the world," she concluded.