Armenian NGOs accuse Azerbaijani "environmentalists" of political  manipulations intensifying military aggression in South Caucasus

ArmInfo.Armenian non-governmental organizations express deep concern about the  position of Azerbaijani "environmentalists" engaged in political  manipulations, which leads to the escalation of military aggression  in the South Caucasus region and prevents the peaceful settlement of  the Armenian-Azerbaijani military conflict, worsens the  socio-ecological situation in the borderline regions.

The statement of the NGO received by ArmInfo states: "The blockade of  the Lachin Corridor, which is vital for the 120,000 people of Artsakh  and connects Armenia with Artsakh, began with the actions of  Azerbaijani "environmentalists" who announced the risks of mining in  Artsakh.

The "environmentalists" stationed in the Lachin Corridor have been  replaced by the armed forces of Azerbaijan, who claim political  demands using violent methods.

In June 2023, Azerbaijan's official agency dealing with environmental  issues, issued a statement about Armenia's violation of the Espoo  Convention with regard to the construction of a metallurgical plant  in the village of Yeraskh on the border of sovereign Armenia with  Azerbaijan.

In the justification of the statement, facts are distorted, which  allegedly testify to the violation of the provisions of the  convention. The productivity of the metallurgical enterprise is 100  thousand tons per year, which is 10 times less than the minimum  production capacity of 1 million tons per year, which can be  considered within the framework of the requirements of the  convention.

Regarding information, Armenia adheres to the Open Government  Principles (OGP) and the requirements of the Aarhus Convention, and  the required information on Environmental Impact Assessment is  published on official websites, where the main technical parameters  of production are indicated and the Environmental Impact Assessment  is provided. Documents on the Yeraskh plant are also published on a  public open platform. The RA Ministry of Environment responded to the  statement of the Azerbaijani side. However, as in the case of Lachin,  the Azerbaijani "environmentalists" were replaced by the military,  who opened fire on the construction site of the Yeraskh factory, as a  result of which two workers were seriously injured.

In July 2023, Azerbaijani "environmentalists" addressed an open  letter to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan about the violation  of environmental stability in the South Caucasus region due to the  exploitation of mining enterprises. Note that some of the listed  companies do not exist. The letter as a whole is an example of a  mixture of true and false facts.

Information about the mining industry in Armenia can be obtained from  the website www.eiti.am, which is the official website of Armenia, as  a country with the status of member of the International Extractive  Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI).

The mining sector is problematic all over the world. We, the  representatives of the civil society of Armenia, realizing the global  risks of climate change and sustainable development, make every  effort to reduce them, raise specific issues and negotiate with the  government and business within the framework of the EITI. We are also  trying in a direct format to achieve legislative changes on specific  issues, aimed at reducing risks and protecting social and  environmental rights.

We believe that conscious representatives of civil society in  Azerbaijan should pay attention to climate threats, the continuous  pollution of the Caspian Sea basin and the violation of the rights of  local population affected by industrial waste pollution, and strive  to improve the social and environmental situation, reduce climate  risks and improve protection of the rights of the active  representatives of the local population and civil society who have  come under physical security threats from law enforcement agencies  and the state in general.

In particular, we are talking about the problems of Azerbaijan's oil  and gas industry, which is the main source of income for the country  and its immediate leadership. For the information of Azerbaijani  "environmentalists", we should note that in 2006 all the coastal  countries of the Caspian Sea, including Azerbaijan, have ratified the  Tehran Convention on the "Framework Convention for the Protection of  the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea". The 21.3 thousand hectare  area of the Apsheron Peninsula on the west coast of the Caspian Sea,  rich in oil and gas reserves, is heavily polluted with oil and oil  products. Long- term oil spills in this area have caused severe  anthropogenic changes to the environment and natural landscape (TACIS  2009).  The most toxic elements in Apsheron Peninsula are B, Al, Pb,  U, Se, Fe, C, Na and Mg.   (https://tehranconvention.org/system/files/tcis/caspian_soe_2011_rus.pdf). 

Thus, Azerbaijan's oil and gas industry poses a significant threat to  the countries of the Caspian Sea basin: the Islamic Republic of Iran,  the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, Turkmenistan, and  Azerbaijan itself.  The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline passes  through the territory of Georgia, including a part of  Borjomi  National Park, which is rich in mineral water sources of "Borjomi",  the main export product of Georgia, and has international importance  from the point of view of health and sports tourism. For several  years, the representatives of the civil society of Georgia have  expressed their opposition to the construction of an oil pipeline  through a specially protected area, pointing out the risks of  possible leaks and accidents, especially for mineral water sources.  They demanded to change the route of the project.  However, the  investors and the government of Azerbaijan did not agree to increase  the cost of the project, and it was implemented with additional  conditions. Considering the need for a "green" energy transition, an  international audit of the activities of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and  other oil and gas industry projects, fulfilled and unfulfilled  obligations, as well as greenhouse gas emissions and environmental  damage should be carried out.

Residents of Mirgurbanli and Yeni Gishlag villages of Neftchala  region complain about radioactive iodine emissions, which are waste  from the Neftchala iodine and bromine plant owned by "Azer Yod" LLC.

Residents sent the press a photo of the Mill-Mugan collector canal  with brown contents. The press referred to the alarm signal in a  prepared article stating that the complaints do not correspond to  reality and referring only to the company's employees.   (https://media.az/society/1067841929/radioaktivnyy-yod-travit-zhiteley-neftchaly-foto/)  In 2023, the residents of S”ydl village of Gadabay District, Azerbaijan, expressed their opposition to the construction of a  cyanide tailing dump. It was meant to be for the waste generated by the operation of the Gadabay gold and silver mine. The residents are concerned about the consequences for their pastures and water. Azerbaijani law enforcement agencies took  violent actions against them, using battons, rubber bullets, pepper and tear gas. (https://caneecca.org/azerbajdzhan-mestnoe- naselenie-protiv-czianidnogo-ozera/). None of the Azerbaijani organizations that signed the statement acted in defense of the  residents of S”ydl village and the environment.

It should be noted that in 2017 Azerbaijan's membership to the  Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) was suspended  due to the violation of the principles of this initiative, the  constant pressure of the country's government on civil society and  the use of harsh measures, as well as persecution of political  opponents and journalists. Public activists who advocated for an open  and accountable mining sector in Azerbaijan were either arrested or  forced to leave the country due to political persecution.  (https://bankwatch.org/press-release/azerbajdzhan-otstranen-ot-ipdo-po-zayavleniyu-bankwatch-i- counter-balance?lang=ru).

The statements of Azerbaijani non-governmental organizations are part  of the aggressive policy of the Azerbaijani government, fulfilling  the order of the authoritarian state regime, joining the military and  informational aggression against Armenia and trying to terrorize the  population of Armenia." The statement was signed by: "EcoLur"  Informational NGO "Green Armenia" Environmental and Educational NGO  "Center for Community Mobilization and Support " NGO "Dalma-Sona"  Educational, Cultural, Social and Environmental Foundation NGO  "Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center" NGO "Human Rights  Research Center" NGO "Forests of Armenia" Environmental NGO "For  Equal Rights" Educational Center" NGO "Vanadzor Office of the  Helsinki Civil Assembly" NGO "Center for Public Awareness and  Monitoring" NGO "Ecological Public Union" NGO "BLEJAN" Environmental,  Social and Business Support NGO "Pink" Human Rights NGO "Union of  Conscious Citizens" NGO "Restart Gyumri" Civic Initiatives Center NGO  "Helsinki Human Rights Association" NGO "Free Citizen" NGO "Public  Journalism Club" NGO "Martuni Women's Community Council" NGO "Goris  Press Club" NGO "Prospective Development Center" NGO "Center for  Media Initiatives" NGO Roza Julhakyan, Expert in Environment and  Climate Silva Ayvazyan, Expert in Environment and Climate Karine  Taslakyan, Expert in Sustainable Development and Management