Nuclear Forensics Laboratory opens in ArmeniaJanuary 18, 2013 - 13:33 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - On January 18, U.S. ambassador John A. Heffern joined officials from the Armenian Ministry of Energy and National Security Service to open the Armenian Nuclear Forensics Laboratory at the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP). The U.S. Department of State’s Preventing Nuclear Smuggling Program (PNSP) partnered with the ANPP to establish a Laboratory for Technical and Forensic Analysis of Nuclear and Radioactive Materials as part of a joint effort to strengthen Armenian capabilities to respond to the transnational threat of nuclear smuggling. The laboratory will allow Armenia to collect nuclear and radiologically contaminated evidence at crime scenes and perform technical analysis necessary to support the prosecution of smugglers. New opportunities will arise for Armenia to cooperate with governments investigating illicit uses of nuclear material. Additionally, the facility will advance aspects of the 2010 Nuclear Security Summit work plan discussed at the 2012 summit in the Republic of Korea, the embassy’s press service reported. PNSP is a U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, Office of Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism (ISN/WMDT) program. PNSP is working globally to counter nuclear smuggling. Improving nuclear forensics best practices and cooperation enables countries to counter nuclear smuggling by furthering their ability to determine material origin and prosecuting smugglers. Top stories Yerevan has dismissed Turkey’s demand to shut down the Armenian nuclear power plant as “inappropriate”. Armenia will loan 2.9 billion drams to Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh), according to a draft government decision. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan has “strongly condemned” Armenia’s decision. Kerobyan has said that for the first time in the history of Armenia, the volume of foreign direct investments amounted to about $1 billion. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Azerbaijan must respect human rights, Scholz tells Aliyev German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for greater respect for human rights in Azerbaijan. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. |