What Are the Real Reasons for the Non-Operational Status of the 'Vorotan-Arpa-Sevan' Hydropower Complex?

It became clear yesterday that the Office of the Prosecutor General of Armenia has discovered numerous apparent corruption violations resulting in an estimated 2.5 billion drams in damages to the state during the renovation and maintenance work of the 'Arpa-Sevan' tunnel No. 2, for which the Water Committee is the managing authorized body and the management has been entrusted to 'Arpa-Sevan' LLC. A criminal case has been initiated regarding this matter.

Beyond the aforementioned violations, a number of legal and physical entities have also been involved in the criminal case.

The Association of Renewable Energy Producers of Armenia (hereinafter referred to as the Association), having elevated the supremacy of the law, as well as the primacy of state and public interests, has undertaken to study and present the existing issues in the water sector for years, especially regarding the 'Vorotan-Arpa-Sevan' hydropower complex of significant public importance and the alleged real grounds for its non-operation. As it turned out, these grounds align with the clear doubts and hypotheses presented by the Association to the public and are indicative of specific apparent corruption violations, on the basis of which a criminal case has been initiated, with the investigation entrusted to the Investigative Committee of Armenia.

However, it is regrettable that the long-standing and newly appointed high-ranking officials in the sector have not only failed to respond, address, and resolve the problems repeatedly raised by the Association but have also concealed these unfortunate manifestations through serious displays of criminal inaction and negligence, thus creating grounds for promoting and further spreading them.

Additionally, the Water Committee and 'Arpa-Sevan' LLC, through their governing bodies, have committed other violations and illegal acts over the years, particularly concerning the illegal diversion of the Yeghegis River from its natural course. In essence, under the guise of addressing the preservation issues of Lake Sevan, actions have been taken that are not legally sanctioned and counter legislative, which continue to this day.

Moreover, the same Water Committee has currently initiated amendments to the relevant laws regarding Lake Sevan and the restoration, preservation, reproduction, normal development, and use of its ecosystems, which aims to obscure previous violations and illegal actions. These have resulted in the river being endangered by climatic disasters and irreversible consequences.

Meanwhile, it is explicitly stated in the aforementioned law regarding the restoration of Lake Sevan's ecosystems that the lake must be provided with an additional 165 million cubic meters of water through the Vorotan-Arpa waterway, whose official opening took place back in 2004 and has not operated for a single day since then, for which enormous state funds have been withdrawn from the state budget, and no clear justifications have been presented by the responsible authorities.

We are hopeful that within the framework of this case, all violations and abuses will be thoroughly and fully uncovered, including those related to the Vorotan-Arpa waterway and the Yeghegis River, and that both the law and legality, as well as justice, will be restored.

The Association of Renewable Energy Producers of Armenia will actively pursue the uncovering of all abuses, violations, and self-assertions that exist within the context of the aforementioned issues, demanding that those responsible be held accountable to the full extent of the law.

We expect that in our country, the laws and legality must indeed operate; all violators who have caused damage to the state must stand before the law, and the public and conscientious businesses must continue their lawful and favorable activities.

Association of Renewable Energy Producers of Armenia