ARMENIAN PRESIDENT, MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DISCUSS URGENT ISSUES ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND NATURE MANAGEMENT

Arka News Agency, Armenia
June 14 2006

YEREVAN, June 14. /ARKA/. Armenian President Robert Kocharian and
Minister of Environmental Protection Vardan Aivazyan discussed the
urgent issues on environmental protection and nature management. The
press service of the Armenian president reported that the discussion
covered the issues of the level of Sevan Lake, management of deposits
and protection of national parks.

According to Aivazyan, the rise of water level of Sevan Lake today
totals 2.38 meters. At the same time, he informed the president of
the ongoing cleaning works along the lakeside.

Kocharian assigned him to arrange the work on approving nature
management payments and detecting their hidden amounts, and also
ensure transparency of tenders for rights for geological exploration
and toughen control over these processes.

They also discussed a concept on inculcation of mechanisms of
ecotourism in Sevan National Park, Dilijan and Khosrov Park.

The Armenian president and the minister also touched upon the issues
related to air pollution, control over forests, and biodiversity.