RA MINISTER OF NATURE PROTECTION CALLS ON ECOLOGICAL NGOs TO COOPERATE
YEREVAN, August 6 (Noyan Tapan). RA Minister of Nature Protection
Vardan Aivazian during his August 6 meeting with representatives of
the leading ecological NGOs suggested that the Public Council should
be established with the purpose of cooperation of the Ministry and
NGOs. It was mentioned that the Ministry should be notified about the
activities carried out by the NGOs, in particular, on grants given by
the international foundations. According to the RA Minister, NGOs,
dealing with the allocated funds, often replace the state structures
though they don’t have sufficient information and specialists. In
their turn representatives of NGOs agree that the Ministry should be
notified about their activities, but at the same time they mentioned
that the Ministry isn’t always interested in cooperation with
NGOs. They reminded the RA Minister that the issue of the restoration
of the Public Relations Department in the structure of the Ministry
was arisen many times, and the Ministry should provide ecological
information in accordance with the demands of the Orhusk convention,
and wide public should participate in the processes of making
decisions. Vardan Aivazian suggested that participants of the meeting
should assume the discussion as a basis and prepare the draft
Memorandum on cooperation. Gennady Kojoyan is appointed Coordinator of
the draft.