BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 13. Azerbaijani diaspora organizations have issued a statement addressed to international organizations in connection with the construction of a large metallurgical plant in the village of Yeraskh (Arazdeen) of Armenia, bordering Azerbaijan (Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic), Trend reports.
"We, Azerbaijanis, living abroad, have received with a feeling of
deep indignation the news about Armenia's construction of a large
metallurgical plant in the village of Yeraskh (Arazdeen) on the
border with Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan and regard this reality as
exposing Armenia's next step in the field of environmental
aggravation.
The construction of such a plant with a production capacity of 180,000 tons per year on an area of 16,500 square meters means a gross violation by Armenia of the norms and principles of international law, in particular, the provisions of the UN Economic Commission for Europe Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention).
According to the provisions of the current Espoo Convention, given that such large-scale economic activity planned by Armenia on its territory will have a negative environmental impact on the territory of other countries, in particular Azerbaijan, it must be coordinated with the relevant structures of Azerbaijan.
This step by Armenia is not the first case of non–compliance with the norms of international, including environmental, law. Azerbaijan recently filed a fair claim against Armenia within the framework of the Espoo Convention in connection with plans to build a new nuclear reactor on the territory of the Metsamor nuclear power plant and eventually achieved a decision on Armenia's non-compliance with the provisions of the Convention.
Industrial waters with numerous chemical elements emitted by large mining enterprises of Armenia – the Kajaran copper-molybdenum plant and the Kafan Mining and Processing Plant, intensively polluting the transboundary Okhchuchai River for a long time, have had a serious negative impact on the environmental situation in Azerbaijan.
These facts show that such illegal actions of Armenia have become a source of danger not only for Azerbaijan but also for the ecological environment of the entire region.
We strongly condemn the actions of Armenia that undermine the environmental security of the region, contradict the norms of international law, and call on the international community to pay special attention to this issue," the statement says.