Prime Minister: If Amulsar issue was initiated under my rule - I  would not allow the start of project

ArmInfo. "If the Amulsar issue were initiated under my rule, I would not allow the start of the project," Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan told a live on  his Facebook page on a commentary on one of the users of the social  network that if Pashinyan was an oppositionist, he would oppose the  exploitation of the Amulsar deposit.

His statement was conditioned by the fact that he considers it absurd  to form a mining branch in the territory of one of the health centers  of Armenia. However, according to the statement of the head of  government, the current situation is inherited from the former  authorities, and it is impossible to implement any steps without  having a de jure rationale. <We are told <go and close the deposit>.  I.e?  Would you like to close the project without any justification?  Permissiveness begins with this. Today, at the will of the prime  minister, we close Amulsar, the next day some factory, then one of  the publications, after which we will move on to people and so on?  The prime minister cannot come and just close the deposit. I hope you  do not expect this from me. I am concerned about the situation in  Amoulsar primarily from an environmental point of view, and I do not  understand the logic of the former authorities that granted a license  to operate the field in Jermuk, "Pashinyan said.

In his statement, the prime minister also noted that the Amulsar  issue will be decided solely in accordance with the letter of the law  and the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia. "Otherwise, we will  go along the wrong road and bring Armenia to a difficult situation,"  he stressed. At the same time, Pashinyan said that

The environmental inspectorate is currently conducting research on  the deposit site.

In conclusion, the prime minister said: "I am seriously concerned  about the Amulsar issue, and I hope we will find a solution. I'm  sorry that the company did not show a constructive approach, at least  during my visit to Amoulsar.

Lydian Armenia is a subsidiary of British Lydian International, whose  shareholders are also large international institutional investors  from the United States, Great Britain, a number of European  countries, including EBRD. The Amulsar project is the largest  industrial project in Armenia for the development of the Amulsar gold  deposit at a total cost of $ 370 million. In August 2016, a project  for the construction and development of the field was launched.  Preliminary work has been carried out since 2006. The life of the  Amulsar deposit will be 10 years and 4 months, an annual average of  200,000 ounces of gold (about 10 million tons of ore) is planned. The  company's shares are quoted on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Amulsar  deposit is the second largest in Armenia.