Category: 2019

ArmInfo.Minister of Environment of Armenia Erik  Grigoryan does not have enough information to give a final answer to the question whether the Teghout  mine is insured  against situations similar to what happened today with the Zangezur  Copper-Molybdenum Plant. He stated this in an interview with  reporters on October 17 after a government meeting.

At the same time, the Minister admitted that he was acquainted with  the conclusions of international experts on the problematic nature of  the tailing damps of Teghut CJSC. As Grigoryan pointed out, the  information was transferred to the appropriate structures.

To recall, the Teghout Mine ceased operation in January 2018. At  first, the company that operated it stated that the reason was the  need for ongoing repairs, and two months later, it stated that there  was a problem in the tailings pond and the interruption would be  long. Later it became known that VTB Bank confiscated at the mine and  mining plant because of about $ 400 million in debt outstanding by  "Vallex Group".

In July this year the representative of the American consulting  company, David Hallman, stated that there is a risk of collapse in  the tailing dumps of the Teghout Mine and there is a risk if it is  exploited. Activists began demanding to stop the mine development.

Nevertheless, the current management Teghout company, which is  subordinate to VTB Bank, restarted the mining and processing plant in  mid-July and claims that there are no problems in the tailing dump.  On the day of the restart, Lori Region Governor Andrey Ghukasyan and  Teghut CEO Karen Ghazaryan stated that they had suspicions that  "false rumors" about the danger of the collapse of the tailing dump  were being deliberately disseminated.

 Meanwhile, in a statement issued the day before, the Vallex Group  noted that in October-November 2017, three internationally recognized  organizations investigated the tailings damp, and concluded that  "urgent measures should be taken to strengthen the tailings damp and  ensure safety", otherwise case "operation of the plant will lead to a  real threat of collapse of the dam." On August 15, those in charge of  Teghout CJSC reported that an agreement was signed with a Bulgarian  company to carry out the necessary research on the tailing damp. The  company said that work will begin in the first days of September,  with the arrival of Bulgarian specialists.  The entire process of  engineering-geological and hydrogeological examinations and  initiation of a study of the sustainability of the tailings dam will  be under their direct control, and the results will be ready within  7-8 months.  "The September 10 earthquake proved that the government  was right about the sustainability of the Teghout tailing damp,"  Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wrote on his Facebook page. He  recalled that there were many allegations of the imminent destruction  of the tailing damp. However, according to the prime minister, if  these statements were true, then after the 4-magnitude earthquake  recorded in the territory of the mine, the tailing damp would have  collapsed. Pashinyan recalled that the management company was  required to conduct a detailed analysis of the situation, identify  the degree of risk and ensure long-term safety, only after which the  mine will be possible to operate.

ArmInfo.Armenian Constitutional Court's President Hrayr Tovmasyan's father and daughters were summoned to the National Security Service. Sister of Hrayr Tovmasyan,  Angela Tovmasyan, stated this.  She also noted that NSS officials  said they were summoned for a conversation.

We tried to contact the press service of the NSS of Armenia, however, we did not receive an  answer.  It should be noted that on the basis of a statement by the  independent MP of the National Assembly of Armenia Arman Babajanyan,  the Special Investigation Service opened a criminal case on the  seizure of state power by a group of persons.

Arman Babajanyan submitted to the Prosecutor General's Office that a  group of persons had usurped power. On the basis of the application  to the SIS, a criminal case was initiated under Article 300 of the RA  Criminal Code (seizing power through the use of violence or the  threat of violence, as well as the appropriation of the powers of the  President, NA President, the Government or the Constitutional Court  by methods not provided for by the Constitution). A preliminary  investigation is being conducted in the case.

The statement of the MP concerns the legality of the chairmanship of  the President of the Constitutional Court of Armenia Hrayr Tovmasyan  in this position. The MP in his message to the Prosecutor General's  Office noted that Tovmasyan committed violations of the law upon  assuming this position in 2018. That is, Tovmasyan's MP duties were  formally terminated without a corresponding statement, on the basis  of a nonexistent justification by the then NA President. According to  Babajanyan, MP duties cannot be terminated on non-existent grounds. 

ArmInfo.A note from the Azerbaijani side in connection with the visit of the State Duma lawmaker, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS  Affairs Konstantin Zatulin to Nagorno-Karabakh was received through  diplomatic channels. This was announced on October 17 during a weekly  briefing by the official representative of the Russian Foreign  Ministry, Maria Zakharova.

''I want to once again draw attention to the fact that on our website  there is a warning published for a very long time but, unfortunately,  few of those who want to travel to the corresponding region pay  attention to it.  So, we have a valid warning on our website that I  quote: <the Azerbaijani side denies entry to those citizens visiting  the territory of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region and 7  adjacent administrative regions without special permission of the  Azerbaijani authorities." This is a relevant quote. This applies to  everyone and reflects the position of the Azerbaijani authorities on  this issue. The position of the Russian Foreign Ministry on the  Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and ways to resolve it is well known and  remains unchanged. As for the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh, all  the assessments, all the statements made before by the Russian side,  remain relevant. The status should be determined through political  negotiations within the framework of the Minsk process, "Zakharova  said. As for politicians, Russian ones in particular, she continued,  representatives of the legislative branch or people representing  civil society who make relevant statements on this subject," we  proceed from the fact that they reflect their personal point of view.  "" This may be an expert point of view or a political statement, but  one way or another, the relevant institution of executive power  expresses the official point of view on this issue. We have a  presidential foreign policy, respectively, this is the prerogative of  the Presidential Administration and relevant structures and the  Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as other departments that are  authorized to make such statements and reflect the position of the  whole state, "Zakharova concluded.  Earlier it became known that  Azerbaijan sent an official note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs  of the Russian Federation expressing concern of the Azerbaijani side  in connection with the participation of Zatulin at events in Artsakh.   Zatulin, reacting to the note of Azerbaijan, called the reaction of  the Azerbaijani authorities to his visit to Nagorno-Karabakh  hysterical. "Azerbaijan, like Ukraine, always arranges some indecent  hysterics about the arrival of anyone anywhere," the parliamentarian  said, adding that he stands for peace and does not sell weapons.  According to him, the inadequacy of the Azerbaijani side has become a  byword. He added that Baku assumes the right to determine what < our  interests are>.  It should be noted that on October 11, Konstantin  Zatulin took part in Nagorno-Karabakh and spoke at the international  forum "Friends of Artsakh: for justice and peace".  During his  speech, Zautlin said that the people of Artsakh demonstrate  tremendous achievements in civilian life. People in Artsakh live a  full-fledged life, opposing any incitement'', – said Zatulin, while  noting that it was impossible not to touch upon the issue of  recognizing Artsakh at the forum.  According to him, everyone expects  and hopes that good will and a sober approach to the settlement of  the Karabakh conflict will triumph and peace will return to this  land. At the same time, he added that there is no doubt that such a  moment will never come when Nagorno-Karabakh loses its statehood. "I  can say that the Russian Federation, as a mediator, promotes a  peaceful resolution to the conflict and thwarts military attempts in  every possible way. Such an attempt was made in April 2016, it was  not part of the kind people's plan, and Russia did everything in its  power to end it soon and reduce explosiveness. The settlement of the  Karabakh conflict is a priority for us, "said Zatulin.

''But, one way or another, you can be sure that the Russian  Federation as a state will not allow an unjust solution to the  Karabakh conflict. I'm just sure of that. Whoever the president or  the prime minister is, the Russian people first of all value  conscience and justice. And they are on your side'', – concluded  Zatulin.