Save Teghut Forest!

Concerns over the possibility of destroying a virgin forest and posing a threat to the adjacent settlements within the next 30-40 years were confirmed several days ago as the government of the Republic of Armenia conceded to the Teghut Copper-molybdenum mine in the province of Lori for exploitation.According to the working plan by Armenian Copper Program (ACP) the exploitation of the ore mine demands logging 357.16 hectares of wood, where the volume of timber will make 57,700 cubic meters.Environmentalists say 170,833 trees will be logged for the exploitation, including rare sorts of walnut, oak, apple and pear trees. In the Teghut woods 55,000 rare and 45,000 valuable trees grow, as well as plants and animal species included in the Red Data List that will likely vanish when the mine is exploited.“Our estimates show about 2,000 hectares of forests will be destroyed for exploitation, creation of the tailing and communication infrastructure. As a result Teghut will become a landslide zone,” says economist Razmik Terteryan.The fuss kicked up by environmentalists somewhat delayed the government’s decision. However, the new Minister of Environmental Protection Aram Harutyunyan, came up with a hasty positive conclusion to the examination set for the issue, thus continuing the work his predecessor Vardan Aivazyan began, despite the minister’s statement for holding another examination within the next one month.The work by the former and the present ministers was approved by Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan, who visited the mine in the village of Teghut several days ago to attend the set up of the ore mine. According to the PM any kind of mine exploitation would affect the environment, but the company has taken an obligation [to minimize the negative impact]. “I think there is no need to worry, because the RA government clearly defines the rules of the game and we, as the government, will constantly be supervising the second party of the process,” Sargsyan stated.

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CRD/TI Armenia Election Monitor 2007

I’m late with writing this announcement, but in any case, at least now I’d like to drive your attention to Center for Regional Development /Transparency International Armenia Election Monitor 2007 blog. As most of you may already know, this blog will concentrate on all the possible and important news regarding Parliamentary Elections in May. This is to serve an insight into the attempt of democratization.

In partnership with It’s Your Choice, CRD/TI Armenia blog will provide news, interviews, observations and opinions about the upcoming Elections. If you have anything to add, you can have your say, thus helping the elections be as transparent as it has never been.

If you are an ethnic Armenian in Diaspora and you want to be part of the Elections, you can become an election observer and have the fair view of these elections by your own, as CRD/TI blog calls you to take actions.

As Barekendan would say - Let’s wake up and be active!

CRD/TI Armenia blog in English.
CRD/TI Armenia blog in Armenian.

Blogging and New Year

It’s snowing outdoors, it’s magnificent, everything white and clean…though more cars piled in a traffic jam in the streets…and more problems and “I hate New Year”s piled on the shoulders of this show-off nation with every drop of a snow-flake. In several days the New 2007 Year will knock at our doors and the same and well traditioned madness will start again, or rather it will continue with the same haste.

And here I remember my first post “Oof es nor tarin el” which I made at Onnik’s Oneworld Multimedia, hereinafter designating myself with one more synonym-blogger. Wow, it’s already a year that I’m blogging, not every day, not every week though, but well, at least I hope what I had to say was to some interest to anyone.

Funny thing, if not this New Year insanity probably I would never do my first steps and blog anything, as it was the main thing to force me leave all the tiresome New Year preparations at our place and release my complaints and thoughts by jotting them down, which Onnik welcomed at his blog. They say “Anything happens for reason”!

Yet, nothing has changed since last New Year, just with one exception that being superstitious some people probably will not have ham on their tables, as 2007 is a Year of Swine according to the Oriental Horoscope, think less pigs will be slaughtered this year, at least one good part of it (wish every year was pig’s year).