The Amulsar Mine Have All the Necessary Permits for Operation: Will It Be Operational in 2025?
During a concluding press conference, Minister of Environment Hakob Simidyan stated that Lydian Armenia has all the necessary permits to operate the Amulsar mine, currently, there are no judicial or legal grounds to halt this process.
He added that the Amulsar mine has undergone two examinations concerning the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) permit.
The minister acknowledged that mining activities inherently pose risks to the environment, but there are tools and new technologies available to mitigate or neutralize these impacts. Despite the permits, the government will take concrete measures if violations are detected.
Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan previously mentioned that negotiations are underway with commercial banks operating in Armenia to finance the exploitation of the Amulsar gold mine after the Eurasian Development Bank rejected Lydian Armenia’s loan application. He expressed hope that mining operations might commence in 2025.
The exploitation of the Amulsar mine was initially planned for 2018, but environmental activists prevented its operation, arguing it would harm nearby communities. In 2018, Armenia’s Investigative Committee launched a criminal case alleging that officials from the Ministry of Environment had deliberately concealed information about environmental pollution related to the mine. The government allocated $400,000 to the international expert group ELARD to conduct assessments. However, in December 2021, the criminal case regarding misconduct in the mine permitting process was closed.