Several My Step deputies have expressed worries that operating the mine at Amulsar will have irreversible consequences. When asked about his point of view yesterday, Speaker of the National Assembly Ararat Mirzoyan said that the issue is being discussed within the faction and the government. Their discussions are now in the phase where the Prime Minister has asked the Ministry of Environment if ELARD’s investigation provides a basis for a new Environmental Impact Assessment. Mirzoyan said that he has his opinion, but he will not state it at this time.
When asked if there is anything he’s worried about, Mirzoyan said, “How can someone not be worried? How can any Armenian citizen not be worried about a mine? It’s something else for us to look and see if the risks are manageable or not and if there is a need for a new EAI or not. There are many arguments and claims. That’s why we want to hear from professionals before we make an informed decision.”
When asked if he has worries about whether the government’s ratings will drop if the Amulsar mine is put into operation, Ararat Mirzoyan responded, “I agree with claims that the government’s ratings will drop in that case, although I don’t think that most of the people who are against it voted for My Step to begin with. However, there is another issue at hand here: should any government solely worry about its ratings, or can there be situations where governments make unpopular decisions based on the country’s interests?”
