ENVIRONMENTAL LECTURE, TREE PLANTING IN YEREVAN MARK EARTH DAY IN EVENT SUPPORTED BY OSCE OFFICE

LRAGIR.AM
10:18:16 – 23/04/2009

The Head of the OSCE Office inYerevan, Ambassador Sergey Kapinos,
highlighted the links between environment and security today in a
lecture delivered to mark Earth Day.

"Earth Day is a civil initiative aimed at attracting attention to
the need to co-operate to respond to the ecological threats," said
Kapinos, who emphasized the importance of environmental education
at an event organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan, the Armenian
Ministry of Nature Protection, Yerevan State University and Armenia’s
Aarhus Centres. The event also included a tree planting ceremony.

Students at Yerevan State University’s Resource Centre on Environmental
Rights – created with OSCE support – took part in a discussion
following the Ambassador’s lecture, and in the tree-planting event,
along with government officials, professors and civil society
representatives.

"The OSCE Office, through the Aarhus Centres and in close co-operation
with the Ministry of Nature Protection, supports joint actions aimed
at protecting and improving the environment. Today’s event contributes
to environmental awareness and appreciation, and it sparks co-operation
to face environmental challenges," Kapinos said.

Aram Harutyunyan, Minister for Nature Protection, added: "We give
significant importance to the role of the civil society organizations
in raising awareness on environmental issues."

The OSCE Office in Yerevan has supported environmental education
and civil society participation in environmental decision-making by
supporting the establishment of 14 Aarhus Centres, which provide the
public with environmental information.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress