Armenian News

Friday, August 23, 2019

Minister Urges Trust In Expert Opinion On Amulsar Project

Expert opinion must be decisive for the future of a large-scale gold mining project in Armenia that was disrupted by protesters last year, Finance Minister Atom Janjughazian said on Thursday.

"I believe that one must rely on specialists and the results of audits and be guided by that," Janjughazian told reporters when asked whether he believes the Armenian government should allow the Anglo-American company Lydian International to develop the Amulsar gold deposit.

"A one-sided evaluation of any issue carries risks. No issue can be examined in a one-sided manner because there can always be a disadvantage alongside an advantage," he said without elaborating.

Government Eyes Phased Payment Of Heavy Court Fine

The Armenian government will pay an elderly resident of Yerevan 1.6 million euros ($1.8 million) worth of compensation ordered by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), a senior official said on Friday.

Yeghishe Kirakosian, Armenia's representative to the ECHR, said the government at the same time hopes that the massive payment resulting from a property dispute can be made in several installments.

The ECHR set the amount of "just satisfaction" for the 83-year-old Yuri Vartanian last month nearly three years after ruling that Armenian authorities violated his rights to property ownership and a fair hearing in court.

Ter-Petrosian Ally Critical Of Armenian Government

A senior member of former President Levon Ter-Petrosian's Armenian National Congress (HAK) party on Friday criticized the current government's domestic and foreign policies, saying that they are not "clear" enough.

Aram Manukian also claimed that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's administration is too slow in implementing major reforms promised by it.

"The current authorities do not clearly express their positions on the Karabakh issue, foreign policy, and relations with Russia," Manukian told a news conference. "[Their policies] are not clear."

"That may have been justified during the first few months [of Pashinian's] rule when there was a revolutionary euphoria," he said. "That was only natural. But that wave has gone away and the authorities must their express their position on these issues in a clear and understandable way and without tricky terms."

Pashinian Tours Communities Close To Blocked Mining Site

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian sought to reassure residents of the resort town of Jermuk and two villages located close to the Amulsar gold deposit in southeastern Armenia as he visited their communities on Friday.

Pashinian told them that the British-registered company Lydian International will not be allowed to launch mining operations there if they are deemed to pose a serious threat to the environment. He also announced that he will seek additional explanations from the Lebanese consulting firm ELARD that has conducted an independent environmental audit of the Amulsar project.

ELARD's final report submitted Armenia's Investigative Committee was made public two weeks ago. According to its key conclusions presented by the law-enforcement body, toxic waste from the would-be mine is extremely unlikely to contaminate mineral water sources in Jermuk or rivers and canals flowing into Lake Sevan.

Saturday, February 9, 2019

May the Earth of the Motherland Rest Lightly on You, Comrade

May the earth of the Motherland rest lightly on you, comrade.

source http://hetq.am/en/article/100719

Armenian News

May the Earth of the Motherland Rest Lightly on You, Comrade

May the earth of the Motherland rest lightly on you, comrade.

source http://hetq.am/en/article/100719

Armenian News

Yerevan 2018: Total Crime Rate Rises 8.9%

11,344 crimes were reported in Yerevan in 2018, up 8.9% from 2017, according to Yerevan City Prosecutor Gevorg Baghdasaryan.

source http://hetq.am/en/article/100753

Armenian News