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DANIEL FRIED INDICATES U.S. WOULD NOT OBJECT TO CONSTRUCTION OF NEW NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, MARCH 16, ARMENPRESS: US assistant secretary of state, Daniel Fried indicated during d a news conference in Yerevan today before wrapping up a brief visit here that the U.S. would not object to the Armenian government’s ambitious plans to build a new nuclear power station in place of the Metsamor plant, which is due to be decommissioned by 2016.

Fried said after recent explosions on the gas pipeline shipping Russian gas to the South Caucasus the USA and Europe have been paying a greater attention to the energy security of the region and its energy diversification to cut its heavy dependence on Russian fuel supplies. He said Armenia’s desire to built a new nuclear power plant will be discussed in Washington. According to Armenian energy experts, construction of a new plant would require at least $1 billion.

Fried also responded to a question about whether U.S. position on recognizing the 1915 Armenian genocide has changed by saying that president Bush describes these events in all his April 24 statements as ‘horrible events and a tragedy.” He then denied media allegations that US ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, would be recalled soon, allegedly for acknowledging publicly last year that 1915 massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman empire was genocide.

“Ambassador Evans enjoys the confidence of the State Department and will continue to serve as US ambassador to Armenia,” he said.. Ambassador Evans who was also present at the news conference reiterated what he had said before, “I serve to the pleasure of US president.” Steven Mann, the US cochairman of the OSCE Minsk group, accompanying Fried, said Armenia and Azerbaijan were ready to move forward to end their dispute over Karabakh and the USA was ready to assist the process. He said the visits to Baku and Armenia were to learn what should be done next to go on with the talks.

Daniel Fried, accompanied by Senior Advisor for Eurasia Steven Mann, will depart for Ankara, Turkey on March 16. In Armenia, Assistant Secretary Fried held meetings with President Robert Kocharian, Minister of Defense Serzh Sarkisian, Minister of Foreign Affairs Vartan Oskanian, and political leaders from the full spectrum of local political parties. A number of issues were discussed during the meetings, including the U.S.-Armenian bilateral relations, democracy, and Nagorno-Karabakh.

This trip was Ambassador Fried’s second visit to Armenia since his appointment as Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs in May 2005.

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