US strikes civil nuclear agreement with Armenia, Russia’s former close ally

Agency :

The United States and Armenia have struck an agreement on civil nuclear cooperation, amid a push by Washington to strengthen ties with the West Asian country that was once a close ally of Moscow.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and US Vice President JD ?Vance, who is on a two-day visit to the country, signed the multibillion-dollar nuclear energy deal on Monday.

The deal, known as a 123 Agreement, sees the US entering a sector previously dominated by Russia, which had supplied the technology for the only nuclear power plant in the republic.

“This agreement will open a new chapter in the deepening energy partnership between Armenia and the United States,” Pashinyan said at a joint news conference with Vance.

Vance said the agreement, which allows the US to legally license nuclear technology and equipment to other countries, would enable up to $5bn in initial US exports to Armenia, plus an additional $4bn in longer-term fuel and maintenance contracts.