Amin Mammadov: Armenia's mining areas should be monitored

The areas where Armenia conducts its mining industry should be strictly monitored, Amin Mammadov, co-founder of the Environmental Protection First Coalition, said during a briefing on the poisoning of the ecology of Azerbaijan and the entire South Caucasus by Armenia's illegal mining activities, Report informs.

Mammadov noted that in the summer of 2023, information spread about the construction of a metallurgical plant in Arazdayan, Armenia. In response, Azerbaijani NGOs prepared a joint protest statement. "As a result of these efforts, the plant's construction was postponed. Afterwards, Azerbaijani civil society continued to study the existing situation in historical Azerbaijani lands," he said.

“Based on materials provided by Azercosmos (Azerbaijan’s Space Agency) to the coalition in August last year, it was revealed that non-ferrous metals are extracted in more than 20 regions of Armenia close to the border with Azerbaijan, mostly involving international investors. As a result, serious damage is being done to the ecology of the Caucasus. Most of these companies are not seriously accepted globally, so they should be aware of their responsibility and refrain from projects that will harm the Caucasus ecology," Mammadov stressed.

He recalled that thanks to the Great Return program, former IDPs are moving to areas near Armenia. "Therefore, we continue our research on the environmental impacts the population is exposed to. The areas where Armenia carries out its mining industry must be absolutely monitored, with the participation of specialists from the Azerbaijani side being crucial. Armenia must fulfill its commitments," Mammadov concluded.