ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TO SOLVE FIOLETOVO GOLD MINING PROBLEM

12:23 March 18, 2015

EcoLur

The situation in Fioletovo community, Lori Region, is tense again. As
it turns out, Fioletovo gold mining is on the agenda again. This
it’s not the competent ministries, which deal with this issue, but
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, as Stepanavan Aarhus Moordinator
Manya Meliqjanyan informed EcoLur. She advised that on March 13 Ivan
Sevyonov, Member of the Public Council for National Minorities of
Armenia adjunct to Staff of Armenian President, informed Fioletovo
community residents that the mining is on the agenda again. Ivan
Sevyonov noted that the package is with the Armenian President,
who will give a solution to this issue.

Reminder: Fioletovo community has opposed to the mining from the
very beginning outlining that the village will be destroyed, if the
mine opens.

We learn about real owners of “Grade RedMet” LLC from the mass media:
“License on prospecting the area in the village by “Grade RedMet” LLC
was issued in 2005. The founders of the company are Hasmik Harutyunyan,
Mairen Batoyan and Vardan Markaryan. The permit for geoprospecting
was issued to the company when Nature Protection Minister was Vardan
Ayvazyan, currently an MP and Chairman of the Standing Committee on
Economy. Hasmik Harutyunyan is Yervand Hovhannisyan’s wife, who held
the position of Head of Mine Surveyor Control Department at Nature
Protection Ministry during Vardan Ayvazyan’s office. Mairen Batoyan
is Vardan Ayvazyan’s wife’s friend and his countrywoman. Vardan
Margaryan is the owner and director of “Meghradzor Gold” Company
developing Meghradzor mine.

Vardan Ayvazyan owns several mines and has already sold his rights to
developing Hrazdan iron mine, Svarants and Abovyan mines to Chinese
“Fortune Oil”. The Chinese got from Ayvazyan an expired documentation
package for Hrazdan mine. People in Fioletovo say the Chinese also
deal with transaction (information is not checked). We don’t exclude
that the Chinese will try to compensate their damage from 3 huge but
non-perspective iron mines with small gold mines.”