Armenian PM to personally conduct videoconference with Amulsar environmental audit group

14:24,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 23, ARMENPRESS. The Government of Armenia will hold a video conference with experts of ELARD – the company which conducted the environmental audit at Amulsar gold mine, PM Nikol Pashinyan told residents of Jermuk during a visit.

“I have decided that we will have a Skype conference with the ELAR expert group. We will tell them that there is a big debate in Armenia on what their conclusion is and they will interpret their conclusion. The entire conversation will be videotaped and published. Phrase the questions which you have, if needed we will hold the conversation for two hours, if required for two and a half. The meeting will take place, we will film it and publish it, let ELARD interpret their conclusion themselves, we will publish it and speak about it,” the PM said, adding that he will personally conduct the conversation in order to have clear answers and that no misinterpretations happen.

The PM added that since taking office Amulsar has been the only issue regarding which he has personally read all letters. “The people’s voice is always heard and I hope you know that in today’s Armenia the people’s voice can’t not be heard. As I have announced last year, the solution of this issue can be relied on the balanced interest of the Republic of Armenia. Now there is a claim that the water will be contaminated, air will be polluted, the soil will be contaminated, that there will be noise. If it turns out to be so, the mine cannot be operated. But if it turns out there it isn’t so, it is another situation,” Pashinyan said.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan