Azerbaijan raised the issue of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant in a number of international organizations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Ogtay Asadov, speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament.

He made the remarks today, during the discussion of a bill on amendments to the Convention “On the physical protection of nuclear material”.

Nuclear wastes can be buried in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, according to Asadov. “If we liberate those lands, we will know where to send these wastes,” the speaker added.

Addressing the discussion, MP Bakhtiyar Aliyev said that Armenia buries its nuclear plant wastes Azerbaijan’s occupied territories.

MP Elman Mammadov stressed another perilous activity of Armenia against Azerbaijan. “There are uranium deposits in Chyldyran and Drmbon villages of Aghdere. Armenia has been exploiting those deposits for many years and the wastes are poured to Azerbaijani territories through Khachin and Terter rivers,” he said.

The bill on amendments to the Convention “On the physical protection of nuclear materials” has been presented by Ziyafat Asgarov, first vice-speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament, chairman of the parliament’s security, defense and anti-corruption Committee.

Adopted on 26 October 1979, the Convention was declared open for signature from 3 March 1980, said Asgarov.

Azerbaijan joined the Convention in December 2003, according to the vice-speaker. “Later, amendments were made to the Convention. Now we put the issue into discussion. I think that the amendments are consistent with our national interests,” he added.

Then the bill was approved by a vote.