US Vice President JD Vance and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement on February 10, 2026 during VP Vance's two-day visit to Armenia — with the US pledging up to $9 billion in potential investment in Armenian nuclear energy. The Armenian government established a company in 2025 to evaluate options for new reactor construction, looking at technology vendors' proposals on design and cost with a goal of having a development plan by mid-2026. Armenia currently operates the Metsamor-2 VVER-440 reactor (416 MWe, extended to 2036 following 2021 maintenance). Armenia seeks to reduce reliance on Russian energy — in January 2024, Armenia's Security Council Secretary stated that discussions with the US on SMRs had entered a "substantive phase." The US State Department confirmed receipt of Armenia's application to expedite the nuclear cooperation process. Update (October 2, 2026): Prime Minister Pashinyan said a small modular reactor may no longer be enough, because approved investment programmes (including new AI facilities) have moved Armenia from an electricity surplus to a deficit, and that a 1,000 MWe plant could prove the most logical solution, though no decision has been made. A decision on a new unit is still expected by the end of 2027 (an earlier one would be preferable), and he put construction at 7 to 8 years before grid connection. Rosatom has submitted a concrete proposal for a 1,000 MWe VVER-1000 plant and says Armenia will set technical specifications and select partners in the coming months; Rosatom is also open to international suppliers. The government continues to review proposals from other partners, and the final choice is to be made on price, quality, safety, deadlines and guarantees. Source: Nuclear Engineering International, October 2, 2026.