Pashinyan announces launch of Amulsar mine, environmentalists protest

Representatives of Armenia's authorities secretly went to the official opening of the Amulsar mine.

This was stated by the "Amulsar Without a Mine" initiative in response to the statement of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
On Saturday, ore mining was officially launched at the Amulsar mine. At the opening, Pashinyan stated that the launch of the project had been postponed for several years, since the government wanted to fully study all the environmental issues that had been raised earlier, including those concerning the risks of pollution of Lake Sevan. The project was begun only after a series of expert assessments left no room for concerns.

"Representatives of the 'Amulsar Without a Mine' initiative, on their way to Jermuk, accidentally learned that the mine is officially being opened today. Dear residents of Jermuk, all those who are not indifferent, are you ready to see an entire mountain disappear before your eyes, how the ecosystem of an entire region is destroyed, the water polluted, are you ready to see the fall of Jermuk?" the authors of the statement noted.

The Amulsar mine, the second largest in gold reserves in Armenia, is located on the border of the Vayots Dzor and Syunik provinces, not far from Jermuk and the Kechut reservoir. Its proximity to environmentally significant sites provoked protests by environmentalists, who have blocked access to the mine since 2018.
After Pashinyan came to power in 2018, the cabinet demanded a review of the mining permits for the mine. All of this was accompanied by numerous actions by eco-activists. Subsequently, inspections showed that the risks remain manageable, but the company Lydian Armenia did not receive mining permits at that time. And only in 2023 was the process restarted with the signing of a memorandum and the transfer of 12.5% of the company's shares to the government of Armenia.
Source: Sputnik Armenia