At the February 28 session the MPs voted in favour of the draft law on State Support for Innovative Activities, presented by the MP Mher Shahgeldyan and the government. Then the debate of the government-submitted draft law Making Amendments to RA Law on Energy went on.

Artur Baghdasaryan, NA President, wondered what the necessity of making an amendment to the law was conditioned by, when at present there are no plans on building new nuclear power stations and innovative suggestions from international companies. According to Mr. Baghdasaryan, private companies shouldn’t be given the opportunity of getting involved in the sphere of nuclear energy. NA President urged the authors of the draft to study the experience of the European countries. Artur Baghdasaryan, highlighting the economic significance of Metsamor’s nuclear power station, mentioned that there is no point in giving the right of nuclear energy property to private companies. He believes that the executive should postpone the debates on the draft law until practical steps are proposed and carried out.

In response to the question Aleg Galstyan, RA Deputy Minister of Energy, informed that the authors of the draft law studied the experience of Slovakia, Bulgaria and Latvia. Mr. Gevorgyan mentioned that after having a vision of building a new block of the nuclear power station they should take steps to cooperate with international institutions.

Tigran Torosyan, NA Vice President didn’t accept the privatization of the nuclear power station and mentioned that the problem is not only of economic and energetic nature.

Aleg Galstyan, RA Deputy Minister of Energy, mentioned that the European Union makes serious demands to Armenia within the framework of the “New Neighbourhood” programme. It regards the building of a new block of the nuclear power station as a pressing problem, envisaging the existence of a block of 440-megabyte power in 2016.

Gagik Minasyan, Chairman of NA Standing Committee on Financial-Credit, Budgetary and Economic Affairs endorsed the draft and mentioned in the co-speech that the problem of energy security is of priority for the country. In 2016 RA energy resources will diminish by 40 percent, therefore the activities on the development of financial schemes and money obtaining ones should be launched beforehand. Mr. Minasyan believes that the resources of Metsamor’s nuclear power station are running out and the attempts to build a nuclear power station by state means have failed. The Committee Chairman clarified that the draft law has nothing to do with the privatization of Metsamor’s nuclear power station: after passing the draft law the nuclear power station will be considered state monopoly.

The MP Arshak Sadoyan wondered: “Do the amendments have tendency for the elimination of the contradictions between the laws on Energy or for the provision of investments?” He wondered if the state monopoly would be preserved in case 40 percent share of the nuclear power station becomes private property.

Gagik Minasyan, NA Standing Committee on Financial-Credit, Budgetary and Economic Affairs answered that the aim of the amendments is the abolition of the contradictions and 50 percent share of the buildings to be built will be state monopoly.

According to MP Vahram Baghdasaryan, in order to make the law clear it should be set out that the nuclear power station and the nuclear fuel wastes are state monopoly. The MP Hermine Naghdalyan proposed to discuss the problem again in the RPA faction. The MP Hovhannes Margaryan observed that the sphere of nuclear energy should be developed, as Armenia has no other source of energy in the region. The MP Tatul Manaseryan, NA believes that the state budget of the country also suffers from the privatization. According to Aram G. Sargsyan, the passage of the draft is dangerous, as an “enemy country” may become a shareholder of the nuclear power station. The MP Gagik Mkheyan believes that the nuclear power station is a state monopoly, which is of strategic, economic and political significance. He thinks that the hasty passage of the draft law is inadmissible.

Artashes Geghamyan, head of the faction presented the National Unity faction’s viewpoint was by. Mr. Geghamyan mentioned: “The debate of the problem is a fatal mistake as its solution is imposed.”

The MP Vostanik Marukhyan introduced the viewpoint of the ARF faction and recommended the legislative body to debate the draft law with the members of the faction as a result of which, it would be possible to develop a draft law in favour of the people and the state. The debate of the draft law will be continued on March 1.

According to RA Law on NA Rules of Procedure, the MPs came up with statements at the last session.