YEREVAN MUNICIPALITY DECLARES INVALID AGREEMENT ON LEASING AREA IN BOTANICAL GARDENS
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
June 25 2007
YEREVAN, June 25. /ARKA/. Yerevan Municipality declared invalid
the agreement on leasing area in the Botanical Gardens to the NGO
"Armenian Association of Agro-ecologists", said Deputy Director of
the Botanical Gardens Gohar Oganesova.
She said that the cause for annulling the agreement is the fundamental
construction in the territory of the Gardens expanded by the
Association.
"According to the agreement, on the area only small cottages can be
built to serve as studios for craftsmen to produce national souvenirs
for tourists, but in reality fundaments are being dug there for
many-storied buildings," Oganesova said.
She also added that the "Armenian Association of Agro-ecologists"
turned to the Economic Court of Armenia to reconsider the
Municipality’s decision, taking advantage of some inaccuracies in
the formulation of the agreement.
"We hope that the decision will not be reconsidered, otherwise the
Botanical Gardens will turn into a construction lot," Oganesova said.
The agreement between the Botanical Gardens and NGO "Armenian
Association of Agro-ecologists" was signed three years ago. According
to the agreement, 25 hectares in the territory of the Botanical
Gardens were leased for constructing small commercial facilities to
develop ethnic tourism.