A Cabinet meeting was held on 22th November, chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The government approved a proposal to sign a grant agreement between the Republic of Armenia and the Rehabilitation Credit Bank (KfW) to the amount of € 23,208,483.13 concerning the Biodiversity and Sustainable Local Development in Armenia program. The eight-year project will ensure the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in biodiversity-rich areas.
Within the framework of the Grant Program, it is envisaged to implement measures to improve and manage protected areas, natural resources and natural monuments, to restore sustainable forest management, forest landscape and forest restoration, to promote socio-economic development in the selected communities and promote eco-tourism.
Nikol Pashinyan noted in this connection: “As we are discussing this issue, I think it is the right moment to state that our government’s commitment and strategic focus is to preserve and develop Armenia’s biodiversity. We are guided by the motto of Eco Armenia, which means that we will be mindful of environmental issues.”
As the Acting Prime Minister pointed out, there is a lot of talk about the prospects of mining industry that has given rise to different interpretations. “We have never said that mining industry will be closed in Armenia; we say that mining industry in Armenia should abide by most stringent international standards. We will take consistent steps to establish such standards in our country,” Nikol Pashinyan concluded. According to the Acting Prime Minister, the effective and transparent implementation of the above-mentioned program is the most important condition for attracting funds in the future.
“This is a very important issue, and in this context, I think the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development, Marz administrations and community leaders have a lot to do in this respect. In fact, it turns out that 10 million euros will be spent in this very area. Specific programs will have to be submitted and the projects should be selected first of all based on the overall strategic effectiveness. All programs should go along the same logical chain to ensure the best possible final outcome,” Nikol Pashinyan said.
November 23, 2018 at 14:07