12:21, 8 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Ministry of Environment has received a letter from the Azerbaijani authorities regarding the construction of a steelworks in Yeraskh and has responded to it, Ministry of Environment spokesperson Ani Hakobyan told ARMENPRESS.

In the response, Armenia denied Azerbaijan’s accusations which claimed that the plant is being built in violation of environmental norms, and in turn demanded Azerbaijan to cease its unlawful use of force against the sovereign territory of Armenia.

Azerbaijan is falsely accusing Armenia of violating the provisions of the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context.

“We’ve responded to the accusation and we’ve stated the standards with which the plant will function. The factory is being built without violations. Armenia demands Azerbaijan to cease its unlawful use of force on the sovereign territory of Armenia, the shootings targeting the construction site, because this has resulted in injuries among the employees, and material losses. This conduct is a gross violation of the provisions of the Convention which they themselves are citing, while Armenia remains committed to all its international obligations,” Hakobyan told ARMENPRESS, adding that the content of the letter, as well as the response, is within the framework of the Convention.

The construction of the $70,000,000 steel mill in Yeraskh is being carried out by the U.S.-affiliated GTB Steel. The construction site has been targeted by Azerbaijani troops on several occasions. Two workers were shot and wounded in one particular cross-border shooting by the Azeri military.