V.AYVAZYAN CONSIDERS THE ATTACKS ON HIM AND NATURE PROTECTION MINISTRY TO BE CONDITIONED BY PRE-ELECTORAL SITUATION

Arminfo
2007-04-17 23:00:00

The Armenian Minister of Nature Protection intends to wait out the
forthcoming election and abstain from any comments on the lawsuit with
the Global Gold Corporation (GGC). To remind, in early April, 2007,
this American company engaged in gold mining in Armenia appealed to
the World Bank’s International Center for the Settlement of Investment
Disputes, accusing the Armenian Government of hindering its investment
activity.

Answering ArmInfo correspondent’s question, the minister noted
that he is not going "to deny the rumors about him spread by the
local mass media". He added that he will respond to these rumors and
accusations in the international court. "Some politicized mass media
and the politicians they are controlled by are guided by the logic
of the pre-electoral excitement and really come out with statements
concerning the sphere of use of mineral resources. However, the
matter of these statements doesn’t comply with reality, and their
authors intend to provide themselves with the necessary electorate,"
the minister noted. He added that he is getting ready to uphold
the right to the legitimacy of decisions of state importance in the
International Center for the Settlement of Investment Dispute.

To remind, the Nature Protection Ministry charges GGC with failing to
make investments and to meet the schedule at the Marjan deposit, while
GGC charges the Ministry with refusing to accept its investments and
creating obstacles for its investment activities. Aivazyan threatens
that it will deprive the company of its license, while the company
say that one high-ranking official has asked a $3mln bribe for the
license. According to some mass media, it was Aivazyan. Recently
mass media reported that the Ministry wants to give GGC’s license to
another company.

During the suit GGC’s lawyer Fleuriet Ken Spalding said that they
are going to prove in the arbitration court that the Ministry
began persecuting them after they had refused to pay Aivazyan a
bribe. Aivazyan refutes the charge pointblank.