The construction of a large metallurgical plant by Armenia in the village of Arazdayan, located on the border with Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, will lead to negative consequences for the environment of the entire region, Eliud Emeri, president of the Kenyan environmental NGO Consortium of Grassroots, told Report.
According to him, investments in the construction of a metallurgical plant with an annual production capacity of 180,000 tons are carried out in contradiction with environmental standards and international conventions.
“The construction of the Arazdayan steel plant is an investment that is contrary to acceptable international standards. An example is the eight performance standards set by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which clearly define the requirements for environmental and social sustainability of investments. Each investment is expected to comply with environmental requirements throughout the life of the project,” Emeri said.
He also stressed that the discharge of waste from the plant could have irreversible consequences for the flora and fauna of the entire region.
“Our concern is that the people of Azerbaijan and Armenia were not fully involved in this process, which resulted in a lack of significant interaction. This means that prior consent was not obtained, which is the first IFC standard required for all multinational companies carrying out such investments. As a result of this project, the flora and fauna of the region will be significantly harmed by air pollution caused by carbon emissions, which directly affects the biodiversity of these countries. Therefore, we intend to petition the UN to stop this project and ensure that all relevant standards are fully observed," Eliud Emeri added.