YEREVAN, August 22. /ARKA/. Armenian President Armen Sarkissian has expressed his position on the situation around the possible resumption of operation of the Amulsar gold deposit project, his press service said in a Faceebook post.
"President Armen Sarkissian has consistently advocated the adoption of those political decisions that are based on our national interests and the strengthening of Armenian statehood. Although the President is not entitled to interfere with the work of other authorities under the Constitution, however, he is always ready in case of issues of national importance, to be useful with his experience and advice," the press service said.
During a recent visit to the Lori region, Sarkissian emphasized the importance of environmental issues. "We must make special efforts so as not to harm nature. We must have a clear program of what we are doing in the field of ecology, economics, development, and tourism," the president said.
In a late August 19 night Facebook-live session, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan explained why his government would like to allow Canadian miner Lydian International to proceed with its contested Amulsar project in Armenia.
The development of the Amulsar project was halted in 2018 June after environmental groups and local residents set up illegal blockades preventing access to the mine. They argue that the project would pollute the Jermuk mineral water springs and Armenia's largest Lake Sevan. Police have failed to remove the protestors.
According to Pashinyan's Facebook live session, any decision on Amulsar must be made on the basis of facts, not emotions, by observing the country’s balance of interests, which consists of several components, such as environmental, economic and legal.
He said Amulsar gold deposit will be developed in accordance with highest environmental standards unprecedented for Armenia. Other mining companies will have to gradually comply with those standards. He said further that his government is aware of the difficulty of taking such steps, and therefore does not require that they are implemented immediately. He said also the government is not pressured on the issue of the Amulsar field and will suppress such attempts.
“It is in the interests of the state that we satisfy the demand legitimately put forward and give the opportunity for the Amulsar field to be exploited.-0-
