Baku, June 13, AZERTAC

Azerbaijani diaspora organizations issued a statement regarding the construction of a large Metallurgical Plant in the village of Yeraskh (Arazdayan) on the border of Armenia with Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

The statement reads:

“As Azerbaijanis living abroad, we express our profound concern regarding the recent news of Armenia's construction of a large metallurgical plant in the village of Yeraskh (Arazdeyan) on the border with Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. We view this development as a clear indication of Armenia's intention to exacerbate the already precarious environmental situation in the region.

The construction of this expansive metallurgical plant, spanning an area of 16,500 square meters and boasting an annual production capacity of 180,000 tons, represents a gross violation of international standards and principles, particularly those outlined in the UN Economic Commission for Europe Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espo Convention).

According to the Espo Convention, any large-scale economic activity undertaken by Armenia within its territory that possesses a negative environmental impact on neighbouring countries, particularly Azerbaijan, must be coordinated and communicated with the relevant institutions in Azerbaijan as a neighbouring country. Regrettably, Armenia has consistently failed to adhere to these provisions and has demonstrated a disregard for international and environmental law. This is not an isolated incident, as evidenced by Azerbaijan's previous legal action against Armenia under the Espo Convention in response to plans for a new nuclear reactor within the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant. The decision reached in that case affirmed Armenia's non-compliance with the Convention's provisions.

Furthermore, we would like to draw attention to the continuous pollution of the transboundary river Okhchuchay in Armenia, resulting from the high chemical content in the waste discharged by the Gafan and Gadjaran mining industries. These industries, acting as sources of industrial waste, significantly impact the ecological environment of Azerbaijan. These instances further underscore Armenia's repeated and illegal actions, which not only pose a threat to Azerbaijan but also endanger the ecological security of the entire region.

In solidarity with our fellow Azerbaijanis living abroad, we vehemently condemn Armenia's actions that harm the environmental security of the region and contravene international norms and laws. We call upon the international community to give special attention to this pressing issue and take appropriate measures to address the ongoing environmental violations committed by Armenia”.