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Azerbaijan calls UN Security Council to stop activity of Metsamor nuclear power plant

21 April 2012 16:56 (UTC +04:00)

Our country attaches great importance to the ensuring of nuclear security from the first days of independenceâ€, said Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the UN Agshin Mehdiyev at the briefing of the UN Security Council on nuclear security, APA reports quoting â€œAzerTAcâ€ agency.

The briefing held at the initiative of the US aims to remind the UN member countries about the duty to take effective measures in accordance with the Security Councilâ€™s resolutions to prevent the access of terrorists to the nuclear materials and technical aid as a continuation of summit of the US for nuclear security and prevention of weapon of mass annihilation.

According to Mehdiyev, Azerbaijan considers its geographical situation and pays serious attention to the prevention of illegal nuclear materials from its territory. Basin on cooperation with the international partners and international standards Azerbaijan formed a legal base on control over the import: â€œBut, unfortunately, continuous occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia makes it possible to control the significant distance of the state borderâ€.

Mehdiyev expressed hope that both neighboring countries and international community would support Azerbaijanâ€™s proposal to change the South Caucasus region into the nuclear-free zone. From this standpoint the existence of out of date Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant in Armenia gives rise to concern. Diplomat said that according to the opinion of the international observers, the reactor of this plant was old and dangerous for the region. Besides, Metsamor, which is situated in the high seismic zone, has not enough water resources that will cool its reactor. Azerbaijani side takes all these into account and called to stop immediately the activity of Metsamor NPP for preventing any tragic accident in the future.