Armenian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ANRA) has been cooperating with the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US NRC) since 1995.

The Cooperative Agreement was signed between the US NRC and ANRA for the exchange of technical information and cooperation in nuclear safety matters was signed on September 30, 1997. 

ANRA and US NRC cooperated in the areas of establishing and strengthening the infrastructure for nuclear and radiation safety, strengthening the safety assessment capabilities as well as the reactor safety, nuclear safety and radiation protection. The US NRC has provided most valuable assistance in the regulatory decision making on the safety upgrades implemented at the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP), a single most significant source of energy in Armenia.

Within the framework of the mentioned arrangement, ANRA received support in the following directions:

• • Personnel training (NPP thermal hydraulic calculations by RELAP-5 software, neutron and physical calculations, regulatory requirements to the NPP Safety Analysis Report, physical protection of nuclear materials and NPP, NPP seismic safety)

• • Expert advise on NPP safety assessments and analyses, drafting safety regulations and rules 

• • Safety assessment and licensing of the dry spent fuel storage facility

• • Probabilistic safety analysis of NPP

• • Inventory and registration, development and maintaining the national registry of ionizing radiation sources of ionizing radiation sources as well as their safety assessment and licensing in Armenia

• • Development of regulations on safety and physical protection of ionizing radiation sources

• • Provision of software and hardware and other.

ANRA and US NRC cooperation is an excellent example of the international cooperation, success and reconciliation with one aim to achieve the common safety goal.