Opposition figure accuses Armenian government of mistranslating U.S. nuclear proposal, warns of $9 bln debt

Armenian opposition figure Narek Karapetyan on Tuesday accused the government of misleading the public about a proposed nuclear energy deal with the United States, alleging that officials mistranslated remarks by a visiting U.S. official to present a purchase as foreign investment.

Karapetyan, coordinator of the Mer Dzevov (In Our Way) movement, said a statement made during a visit by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance was inaccurately translated by the Armenian government’s interpreter, obscuring a plan for Armenia to buy up to $9 billion worth of U.S. equipment for a small modular nuclear reactor.

“Buying $9 billion in equipment from the United States was presented as an investment,” Karapetyan stated. “In reality, this would be financed by state borrowing and paid for by Armenian citizens, adding $9 billion to the public debt.”

Karapetyan published the original English-language statement alongside the Armenian translation, arguing that the discrepancy masked the financial implications of the proposal.

He also questioned the technology involved, claiming the United States has not yet built an operational small modular nuclear reactor abroad. “The number is zero,” he said, adding that Armenia would effectively become a testing ground for the technology.

Karapetyan further claimed that China had previously offered Armenia a nuclear power plant at roughly half the cost and with double the capacity, saying he had participated in those negotiations.