ANALYTICS

Metsamor may be worse than Chernobyl

28.04.21 11:20


April 26, 2021 marks 35 years since the terrible tragedy - the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Until now, thousands of square kilometers of land, where radioactive fallout fell in Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, due to the consequences of the accident, are unsuitable for life and economic activity. Millions of people have already died prematurely from diseases associated with the doses of radioactive radiation, millions continue to get sick and suffer, many children born after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant have poor health from birth.

 

At the same time, the danger of a repeat of the Chernobyl disaster exists today in the South Caucasus. This means much more dangerous than the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, a hopelessly outdated and emergency facility - the Metsamorksaya nuclear power plant in the Republic of Armenia, from which "in a straight line" to Tbilisi, only about 200 kilometers.

 

The danger is aggravated by the fact that the Metsamor nuclear power plant is, in fact, under the Armenian nationalists who do not hide their adherence to terrorist methods. Which, not only declaring their intention to create a "dirty bomb" - but also have long-established the criminal export of radioactive materials to Georgia and Iran. And Iran's nuclear program, carried out with the help of Armenian nationalists, is generally one of the threats to global security.

 

The presence of such a dangerous facility as Metsamorsachya NPP on the territory of the Republic of Armenia seriously worries neighboring countries. It is no coincidence that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan issued a statement to the press in connection with the International Day of Remembrance and the 35th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. The statement reads as follows:

 

“The Chernobyl accident had a huge impact on the nuclear industry and led to increased cooperation in the field of safety and the adoption of new legal documents. Attention was paid to safety and the importance of human and organizational factors in achieving these changes. The large-scale consequences of this catastrophe proved that the safety of nuclear power plants should be of concern not only to the countries where these plants are located but also to the surrounding countries, which may suffer from potential risks.

 

In this context, the risks associated with the Metsamor NPP in Armenia should be carefully considered by the international community. This nuclear power plant was built using a similar technology used in Chernobyl in 1976-1980 and is located in an active seismic zone. Outdated technology and location make Metsamor one of the most dangerous nuclear power plants in the world. Despite the fact that various international organizations warned about this facility, calling it “a threat to the entire region,” Armenia still continues to operate it, although the operating life of the Metsamor NPP has expired.

 

In 2020, the European Union once again called on Armenia to close the nuclear power plant, noting that “the nuclear power plant cannot be modernized in such a way as to fully comply with internationally accepted nuclear safety standards, and in this regard, its early closure and safe decommissioning are required".

 

The use of outdated technology and non-observance of safety regulations during the operation of the Metsamor NPP creates serious environmental problems for a wider region. In addition, the recurrence of incidents of smuggling of nuclear materials such as highly enriched uranium raises additional concerns about the proper physical protection of the plant and nuclear materials.

 

On this day of remembrance, we call on all relevant international organizations, civil society institutions dealing with nuclear safety and the environment, as well as the countries of the region to raise public awareness about the prevention of a potential disaster and to mobilize their efforts to close the Metsamor nuclear power plant.”

 

Armenian nationalists are also fanatical opponents of peace in the South Caucasus region and the development of international communications. Recently, they took up arms against the project of the Zangezur corridor, which should be organized under the terms of the November truce after the end of the Second Karabakh war.

 

"Nuclear blackmail" against international communications passing both through the territory of Georgia and planned through the territory of the Republic of Armenia is a very real threat. Terrorists may not hesitate to turn even the territories controlled by the Republic of Armenia (not to mention the Georgian lands) into a radioactive desert just to prevent mutually beneficial international cooperation and the development of transit communications in the region.

 

KavkazPlus

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