ArmInfo.In protest against the development of the Amulsar field, the residents of Jermuk will move by road to Yerevan. The event is scheduled for August 20; activists further plan to gather at the building of the State Philharmonic.
The total cost of the Amulsar project is $ 370 million. The life of the deposit is 10 years and 4 months, with an average annual production of 200 thousand ounces of gold planned. We add that Lydian Armenia is a subsidiary of the British offshore Lydian International. Environmentalists and ordinary citizens are concerned that the exploitation of the mine may lead to the pollution of the mineral underground waters of Jermuk and Lake Sevan. In addition to the water basin, the public is also concerned about the possible presence of uranium manifestations at the deposit. Environmentalists and activists demand that the positive conclusion on the EIA project be invalidated, since it was adopted with legislative violations, and the document itself contains problems and shortcomings.
Earlier, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced today the completion of its participation in the project for the development of the Amulsar field. Earlier this year, Lydian International, a mining company that was in dire financial straits, announced restructuring and was delisted on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development initially took part in the capital of the offshore company Lydian International, registered on the island. Jersey, together with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which withdrew from the project 2 years ago. The participation of these international donor partners allowed the offshore company to enter the Canadian exchange market and attract additional investment from institutional investors in the form of investment and pension funds. The main lenders today remain Orion Resource Partners, Osisko Mining and Resource Capital. Fidanka McGrath, an executive officer of the Bank, noted that the current events around the Amulsar mine bring significant reputational damage to the EBRD, even after the EBRD's stake in Lydian International is liquidated.
Tehran’s Armenian church holds requiem in honor of Beirut explosion victims
16:42, 10 August, 2020
YEREVAN, AUGUST 10, ARMENPRESS. A requiem was held in honor of the Beirut blast victims at the Saint Sarkis Armenian Cathedral in Tehran, the Armenian Embassy in Iran said in a statement.
The requiem was served by Prelate Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian.
Ambassador of Armenia to Iran Artashes Tumanyan was in attendance.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
11:19, 3 August, 2020
YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, ARMENPRESS. Authorities have launched a criminal investigation to identify and apprehend the suspect who detonated an explosive device near the building of the Berd Police Department in the Province of Tavush, Armenia.
The explosion took place around 04:00, August 2, authorities said.
Investigators said the explosion damaged the walls and windows of the police building. No injuries were reported.
Authorities are treating the incident as a “deliberate destruction of property” and “illegal acquisition and possession of firearms or explosives”.
A hand grenade pin has been found at the site of the blast.
Updates:
17:30 – Authorities said they have arrested a resident of Berd, 40, on suspicion of having set off the explosive.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
ABU DHABI, 28th July, 2020 (WAM) — H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Armenian Foreign Minister, have discussed strategic relations between the two countries and cooperation in various fields including in the health and commercial fronts.
In a telephone call, the two foreign ministers also exchanged views on the latest regional and international developments, as well as issues of mutual interest.
The UAE Foreign Minister and his Armenian counterpart further reviewed the efforts of the two countries to contain the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this regard, Sheikh Abdullah and Mnatsakanyan noted the importance of enhancing cooperation to contain the virus.
Sheikh Abdullah further noted that the UAE and Armenia enjoy continuous growth in relations, highlighting the keenness of both sides to bolster joint cooperation.
Mnatsakanyan, in turn, praised the distinguished cooperation between the two countries in all fields.
A group of Georgian citizens of Azerbaijani origin on Sunday staged an anti-Armenian protest in the city of Marneuli in Kvemo Kartli Province of Geoegia, chanting such slogans as,"End occupation, freedom to Karabakh" and "Georgia extends solidarity with Azerbaijan in this fight", Executive Director of Javakhk Fund Armen Avetisyan said on Facebook.
According to him, this is nothing more than a belligerent call made in a third country, which may cause ethnic clashes in multinational Georgia.
"After the anti-Armenian rally, a group of Azerbaijanis beat a young Armenian man near the police station in Sadakhlo community of Kvemo Kartli Province and fled the scene,” he said.
Stating that the incident poses serious threats, he urged the Georgian law enforcement agencies to immediately prevent similar attacks and bring those responsible to account.
"Otherwise, it is fraught with unpredictable and undesirable consequences," Avetisyan added.
Russian war correspondent Semyon Pegov of the War Gonzo Project was the first journalist who managed to get as close as possible to the Armenia-Azerbaijani border last week
Russian war correspondent Semyon Pegov of the War Gonzo Project was the first journalist who managed to get as close as possible to the Armenia-Azerbaijani border last week, when Azerbaijani forces brazenly attacked military and civilian targets in Armenia’s northeastern Tavush Province.
In footage released over the weekend, Pegov details how Azerbaijani forces launched the attacks against Armenia from Agdam, near the Artsakh border, where the Azerbaijani army stores its mortars and artillery, reported Public Radio of Armenia.
Pegov explained that Azerbaijanis were shooting at Armenian border positions from yards and gardens of civilian, knowing that Armenian forces would be reticent to return fire to prevent civilian casualties.
“This is not a priority for the Armenian side. They [Azerbaijani armed forces] thus hide behind the civilian population,” Pegov said.
The team has also managed to find the point from where the Armenian Anvakh border post, the target of Azerbaijani attack on July 12, can be seen.
As Azerbaijan continued its attack on Armenian border targets last week, Armenia’s Defense Ministry Spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan posted satellite photos showing the Azerbaijani village of Dondar Ghushchu of Tovruz region (located about six miles from the frontline) enclosed by artillery batteries.
“The Azerbaijan side has surrounded its own population with artillery batteries, turning them into a target, and then it complains that shots were fired by the Armenian Armed Forces at that direction,” explained Stepanyan.
BEIRUT, LEBANON (9:30 P.M.) – The Armenian military beat back an assault that was launched by the Azerbaijani forces along the border on Sunday.
According to the Russian-language Avia.Pro publication, the Armenian military inflicted heavy losses in the ranks of the Azerbaijani army, while the former suffered little-to-no casualties.
“A day earlier, a military conflict occurred on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan, resulting in very serious losses for the Azerbaijani side. It is known about the destruction of a bus with the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, a downed drone and damaged armored vehicles, which illegally entered the territory of Armenia, while there are no losses from the Armenian military,” Avia.Pro said.
The Russian publication said the Azerbaijani army tried to move their forces into Armenian territory, but were once again forced to abandon the attempt.
“Despite the fact that the unleashing of a full-fledged military conflict between the two sides was avoided, this morning the Azerbaijani military made several new attempts to illegally transfer its militarized units to the territory of a neighboring state, however, the Armenian Armed Forces gave another adequate response, which does not exclude the growth of tension in the region,” Avia.Pro reported.
The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense has not commented on these claims; however, they did state on Sunday that there were clashes with the Armenian military, which resulted in casualties on both sides.