Armenia Responds to Claims of Metsamor NPP Closure: Operating License Valid Until 2036

In response to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's claims that the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant (Metsamor NPP) is "outdated" and could pose a potential threat to the region, Arman Yeghoyan, a lawmaker from Armenia's ruling "Civil Contract" party, stated that the operating lifetime of a nuclear power plant is not unilaterally determined by the governments of neighboring countries.

Yeghoyan noted that every nuclear power plant has an established operating period, and the Metsamor NPP is currently authorized to operate for a maximum term extending to 2036, information that has long been public. He also stated that the Armenian side has announced it is studying options for building a new nuclear power plant and is holding consultations with multiple international partners.

Aliyev previously stated that the Metsamor NPP "must be closed sooner or later," and that Armenia could face an energy crisis after its closure. He also suggested that an energy corridor passing through Armenia to Nakhchivan and further connecting to Turkey and Europe would help enhance the resilience of Armenia's energy system.

Political analyst Samvel Meliksetyan, however, believes that Armenia currently has sufficient electricity supply, and even if the Metsamor NPP is closed in the future, it does not necessarily mean the country's energy system will fall into a severe crisis. He pointed out that Armenia can still expand solar power generation, and the generating capacity of Unit 5 of the Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant is roughly equivalent to that of the nuclear plant, although the nuclear plant's electricity generation costs are relatively lower.

Regarding regional transportation and energy connectivity, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the United States signed a declaration in Washington on August 8, 2025, to launch the "Trump International Peace and Prosperity Route" (TRIPP) project. Under the relevant arrangements, Armenia will provide the corridor while retaining its sovereign rights.

Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan has begun project preparation for a power transmission line connecting the mainland to Nakhchivan via Armenian territory, and has identified some locations for support tower installation. In response, Meliksetyan said such work should be understood as route assessment and technical discussions under the TRIPP framework, and should not be interpreted as unilateral action.

The Armenian side also emphasized that the term "Zangezur Corridor" does not appear in any signed or initialed relevant documents. Yeghoyan stated that no infrastructure or legal concept bearing that name exists within Armenian territory, and that the project currently being advanced is TRIPP.