Administrative Court Rejects Lawsuit to Nullify Amulsar Project’s EIA Conclusion

The Administrative Court has rejected the lawsuit to nullify the expert conclusion of the Amulsar project's Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). This was announced by Lydian International.

In the company’s statement, it was noted, “A group of individuals claimed that the alleged 'new ecological factors' could serve as a basis to nullify the expert conclusion of the EIA. By rejecting the lawsuit, the Administrative Court clearly states that the evidence presented does not constitute ‘new ecological factors’ and cannot serve as a basis for nullifying the currently valid EIA expert conclusion.”

Specifically: 1) The disputed expert conclusion presented by Elard regarding the Amulsar project, commissioned by the Investigative Committee of Armenia, 2) The 13 points presented by the Minister of Environment to the Head of the Prime Minister's Office on September 5, which could serve as a basis for a new EIA, 3) The results of the independent examination of the Amulsar project commissioned by Harut Bronozian.

Edward Sellers, the acting President and CEO of Lydian International, commented on this matter, stating, “This news is particularly important regarding the credibility of Elard's disputed report and the 13 points presented by the Minister of Environment. Lydian's EIA complies with Armenian and international standards and has been developed in accordance with international best practices. We appreciate that the Court has upheld the legality of the EIA. Furthermore, the lawsuit presented is yet another attempt to obstruct Lydian's legal right to develop and implement the Amulsar project.”

“The Prime Minister of Armenia has repeatedly stated that there is no legal basis to obstruct Lydian from completing construction and operating the Amulsar project, and that the implementation of the project serves the interests of the state. The Prime Minister has called on those unlawfully blocking the roads to Amulsar to unblock the paths and restore free access to the project area. However, as of today, the illegal blockage of these roads continues.”