Statement by Ambassador Andranik Hovhannisyan at the IAEA Board of Governors under agenda item 2: The Annual Report for 2024

09 June, 2025

Madame Chair,

Armenia thanks the Director General and the Secretariat for the Annual Report for 2024, which provides a comprehensive overview of the IAEA’s vital work in promoting safe, secure, and peaceful uses of nuclear technology worldwide.

The volumes and numbers provided in the report reflect the consistent growth in IAEA activities, as well as the steadfast interest of Member States in utilizing the benefits of peaceful atom. 2024 was notable also for its high level meetings and conferences, such as Nuclear Energy Summit, ICONS2024, Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Science, Technology, Applications and the TCP. Armenia’s high level participation at all of these events highlights the importance that we attach to the cooperation within the IAEA framework.

The report displays the growing global interest in nuclear power, which is also evident in the Agency’s continuous upward revision of its annual projections for potential growth of nuclear power in the coming decades. Armenia acknowledges the Agency’s assessment that realizing these projections will require large-scale implementation of long-term operation (LTO) for the existing fleet, in addition to new nuclear programs. This aligns precisely with our national priorities, as Armenia is currently implementing the necessary measures to extend the lifetime of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant.

In this regard, Armenia greatly values the IAEA’s ongoing support for both our LTO and lifetime extension (LTE) initiatives. Armenia has also benefited from IAEA guidance in establishing a NEPIO during the reporting period. We believe that the Agency should allocate equal attention and resources to the existing fleet as it does to new potential projects.

Distinguished colleagues,

Armenia is determined to make best use of the Agency's exclusive expertise in assessing nuclear safety and security and promoting its culture. Examples of such cooperation with the IAEA in 2024 include Missions on Integrated Management System and the Site and External Events Design. The International Nuclear Management Academy mission, facilitated by the Agency, supported the master’s degree programs at Yerevan State University.

Madame Chair,

Armenia appreciates the Director General's timely and impactful initiatives, such as Rays of Hope, Atoms for Food, NUTEC Plastic and Zodiac, which aim to assist member states in addressing some of the most pressing global challenges and meet the SDGs.

We acknowledge also the Agency's steadfast resolve to support nuclear safety and security through its continued presence at various nuclear power plant sites.

Concluding, we would like to thank the Secretariat for presenting the information in the report in an easily accessible way with useful statistics and various graphics, underscoring the importance of prioritization of statutory activities in the report.

With this, Armenia takes note of the Annual Report 2024.

Thank you.

MFA RA
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