ArmInfo. Given the necessary facts, the Armenian government will take a decision on the mining sector. Prime Minister of the Republic of Abkhazia Nikol Pashinyan said this on the eve of a meeting with residents of a number of communities in the Syunik region of the republic.
As the press service of the government reports, one of the residents of Meghri informed the prime minister that, at the call of the prime minister, protests against the operation of the Lichk deposit have been suspended. In response, Nikol Pashinyan stressed that the country's mineral resources were being destroyed in Armenia, and the economic growth of the country was linked with the world prices for copper. "I think that this is a problem, but I do not think that the mining industry should be shut down." I gave instructions for carrying out research on all polymetallic deposits in order to comply with environmental standards. "I ask you to give us the opportunity to collect the facts on the basis of which it becomes possible I, as a prime minister, do not have the right to take decisions on the closure of a mine, so as to make a decision it is necessary to collect facts that must be undeniable and on the basis of their decisions will be made already, "- said Nikol Pashinyan. He added that he does not have any corruption obligations with any of the mine.
On the state balance of mineral resources at the present time more than 670 deposits of solid minerals with confirmed reserves, including 30 metallic deposits, are registered. About 400 of these deposits are exploited, including 22 metal ones. There are 7 copper-molybdenum deposits, 4 copper, 14 gold and gold- polymetallic deposits, 2 iron ore and 1 aluminum ore on metallic minerals. Armenia also occupies one of the leading places in the world for the richness and diversity of nonmetallic ore reserves. Almost all known ore minerals are found on the small territory of Armenia. Minerals originating in Armenia as a result of volcanic processes, including light rocks such as tuffs, perlites, pumice, zeolites, volcanic slags, etc., are of special value and importance. Huge quantities of reserves of various types of basalt, granite, nepheline syenite, marble. Reserves of the highest quality and the most intumescent rocks (perlites, obsidians and others) are in the world in Armenia. The confirmed reserves of the Armenian Aragatspearlite are 150 million m3, and the total amount of its projected reserves is up to 3 billion m3. More than 100 basalt and andesite deposits are mapped over the entire territory of Armenia, several of which are unique in their composition.