The first forum of the WANO MC Youth Movement leaders was held on 10-11 December, 2019 in Desnogorsk, satellite town of the Smolensk NPP (SNPP). It was attended by NPP Youth Movement representatives from seven member countries of the WANO Moscow Regional Centre (WANO MC).
The Armenian NPP was represented by E. Tshagharyan, Deputy General Director, Financial Director and A. Sargsyan, Leading Engineer of the Quality Assurance Department.

The participants of the forum were welcomed by P. Lubensky, Smolensk NPP Director, R. Galiev, SNPP Chief Inspector, as well as Anatoly Kirichenko, the First Deputy Director of the WANO MC. The agenda of the forum included presentations, discussions, a technical tour to the Smolensk NPP, a visit to a local history museum, a quiz and a contest for knowledge of nuclear power history and WANO history.

The Armenian NPP YM representatives told about the activities implemented in the framework of the WANO performance, as well as plans and more. Having listened to the presentations of other speakers the representatives of the Armenian NPP made a note of the important (feasible) good practices of other plants’ YM performance, and then a number of activities to focus on in 2020 were outlined.

During the Smolensk NPP walkdown the participants of the forum became familiar with the major equipment and the principles of RBMK-1000 type reactor operation.

The team which included the Armenian NPP YM representatives won the contest for knowledge of nuclear power history and WANO history.

During the official closing, the activities of the Youth Movement at the Armenian NPP (participation in the WANO missions, development of corrective actions, involvement in international workshops, etc.) received appreciation both by the WANO MC management and by the senior managers and long-service employees of the Smolensk NPP.

In general, we can confidently say that the WANO Youth Movement has acquired a new sense and a new format. The forum raised a lot of positive emotions in its participants and once again emphasized the key tasks of the WANO Youth Movement: development of technical competences and knowledge about the WANO and training of the new generation of WANO experts.