State retreat from responsibility

Development of mining and metallurgy. This is confirmed by the publications that appeared in the Azerbaijani press in recent weeks. Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on a number of measures to ensure the development of the mining and metallurgical industry in Azerbaijan during 2027-2030. Moreover, a part of all this is in the territory of Artsakh, in Kashatagh, Shahumyan.

Aliyev has given strategic importance to the development of this sector, which will contribute to the diversification of the economy and the deepening of industrialization. Baku considers the mining industry as a component of the country’s security. They recognize that without a strong industrial base, sovereignty is declarative in nature.

For many years, there were two sides opposing the use of mines in Artsakh: the government of Azerbaijan and Armenian environmentalists (mainly book-eaters). And today, when Artsakh is already under the control of Baku, that same environmentalists are silent, and Azerbaijan at the state level announces the exploitation of prospective mines in those areas, the expansion of the metallurgical industry, and new opportunities for export.

In fact, it turns out that we left strategic metals in the ground to preserve nature or pass it on to the next generation, and Ilham Aliyev will reap the benefit of the natural resource.

What do they do in Armenia when they want to open a new mine? a public hearing is invited, in which residents, who objectively do not know the details of the sector, participate, not narrow specialists; mining is a complex scientific field that requires years of study, skill and experience to get right.

Well, of course, we should not forget that for years the residents have been scared and misinformed that mining is a disaster, it poisons everything and everyone. After that, residents are unlikely to speak in favor at any public hearing.

By the way, the air in Yerevan is more polluted and harmful than in the regions where mining is carried out.

Have you ever heard that a public hearing was called for the exploitation of a new oil field in Azerbaijan, and because of the residents’ opposition, the extraction will not be carried out? there is no such publication in the Azerbaijani press. And almost all public hearings for the operation of a new mine or the expansion of an existing mine in Armenia are accompanied by fights, curses and are mostly defeated. publications are numerous.

And when the state is silent in such situations or stands aside as an “observer”, it actually tells the investor and the citizen to decide for themselves, and this is a direct retreat of the state. If the state considers that mining is necessary for the country’s economy, it must also ensure its safe operation and protect the investor. The third option, to leave the decision in the emotional field, leads to economic suicide. And the “eco-activists” who take grants serving the interests of other countries either emigrate and live happily in some western country, or remain silent, or continue to make noise with grants on other topics… It has something to do with what new order comes down from the grant givers.

The story of Amulsar is one of the biggest economic failures in recent history. Investments of billions of dollars hanging in the air for years, thousands of uncreated jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars not included in the state budget. This is the price we pay for the lack of state will.

Why does the state make the decision to exploit oil or metal mines in Azerbaijan, while in our country the decision is left to the residents? Is it possible to think that the state avoids responsibility by placing it on its citizen? Moreover, when the issue concerns the construction of roads, residential buildings or any other object, the decision is made by the state, ignoring the opinions, worries and complaints of the residents, and when it comes to the use of the soil, the decision is made by the farmer of the adjacent village. And if, for example, the farmer will make the right decision, will that decision not be negatively affected? on the economy, will the country not lose the role of an important player in the market, will the sector not be excluded from global competition?

While we have been holding hearings and speaking out against the mines for months, Baku will soon strengthen its position in the markets for gold, copper and other important metals. And it is noteworthy that after the discovery of oil and gas reserves, Baku has now emphasized the discovery or development-expansion of metal mines. It is no coincidence that Aliyev, realizing the strategic importance of the sector, literally stated that copper is the oil of the new century.

A few days ago, another publication appeared in the Azerbaijani press: the British mining company Anglo Asian Mining (AAM) continues to work on technical and economic studies of two new mines and plans to engage consultants in the coming weeks.

AAM plans to make copper its main product by 2030 and reach an annual production volume of 50,000-55,000 tons. In 2027-2030, three new mines will be commissioned by this company. From 2025, the same company is already extracting from Artsakh mines.

We need to understand that mining is not just extracting minerals from the ground. It is high technologies, it is metallurgy, it is a powerful industrial chain that feeds the army, science, education.

If we continue to leave the burden of strategic decisions on the citizen, we will soon find ourselves in a situation where our economy will be “environmentally clean”, but empty and unprotected in a region where the neighbors have long ago turned their soil into a weapon and a political factor.

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