Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, where both leaders emphasized the strong and developing nature of bilateral relations.
Putin stated that Armenia's nuclear power plant has been operating for a long time and currently provides around 30% of the country’s electricity. “Rosatom is now working on extending the operational life of the plant,” he said, adding that Pashinyan’s presence at the international nuclear forum was therefore entirely logical. He noted that trade between the two countries reached a record $11.7 billion in 2024 and continues to expand across various sectors.
Welcoming Pashinyan to Moscow, Putin added, “Despite meeting recently, we always have something to discuss.”
Pashinyan thanked Putin for the invitation to the WorldAtomic Week forum and acknowledged the growing global importance of nuclear energy as an ecological solution.
He said Armenia is actively exploring suitable projects for small modular nuclear power capabilities. “Thank you for inviting us to the WorldAtomic Week. We learned a lot today about nuclear technologies. The role of atomic energy is constantly growing, and globally it is now considered a green energy solution,” said Pashinyan.
He emphasized the importance of nuclear energy for Armenia and affirmed ongoing cooperation with Russia to extend the lifespan of the country’s nuclear power plant until 2036.
“We are searching for appropriate projects in the field of small modular nuclear reactors, and are actively engaging with Russia on this issue. Our collaboration with Rosatom has been very productive,” he said.
While acknowledging a slight trade decline this year due to global processes, Pashinyan expressed confidence in the potential to return to the growth trends seen in 2023–2024.
Pashinyan traveled to Moscow to participate in the World Atomic Week, focused on nuclear energy development. Other attendees included Vladimir Putin, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, Myanmar’s acting president Min Aung Hlaing, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, Iranian Vice President Mohammad Eslami, and Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev.
