The civil society of Armenia addressed a letter to the international organizations, the ambassadors of the USA and the European Union member states accredited in Armenia, calling to support and act as a mediator in the decision of e RA Government dated 10.02.2022 to withdraw the draft law "On Making Amendments to RA Subsoil Code" approved at the meeting.
The letter was addressed to Resident Representative at UNDP Armenia Natia Natsvlishvili, Head of EU Delegation in Armenia, EU Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin, Director of Mission of the US agency for International Development in Armenia (USAID) John G. Allelo, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic in Armenia Anne Louyot, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria in Armenia Kalin Vasilev Anastasov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Czech Republic in Armenia Bedrich Kopecky, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany in Armenia Viktor Richter, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Hellenic Republic in Armenia Evangelos Tournakis, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Italian Republic in Armenia Alfonso Di Riso, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Lithuania in Armenia Inga Stanytė-Toločkienė, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Poland in Armenia H.E. Mr. Paweł Cieplak, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania in Armenia Cornel Lonescu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Sweden in Armenia Patrik Svensson, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Armenia Nicolaas Jacob Schermers, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Slovak Republic in Armenia, Charge d'Affaires Miroslav Hacek, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America in Armenia Lynne Tracy.
The letter particularly says:
"The Civil Society of Armenia appeals to you as authoritative international organizations, embassies of EU countries and the US accredited in Armenia, which have made a great contribution to the strengthening of democratic processes in the Republic of Armenia, including the signing of the CEPA agreement, which enshrines the importance of green economy․ The United Nations, which for many years has supported the RA Government in the process of achieving the goals of sustainable development, has promoted the signed international conventions on the importance of ratified democracy, the protection of human rights and the conservation of nature.
In the RA Government session on 10.02.2022 the Executive approved the draft law "On Making Amendments and Addenda to the RA Subsoil Code" without a report.
Civil society organizations are convinced that with these new amendments to the Subsoil Code, the executive is moving away from democratic values, endangering the process of local democracy, as there is no consensus with the public on this change, as it deprives the community of the opportunity to fight peacefully for the right to live in a healthy environment.
On February 17, 2022, civil society organizations and RA citizens issued a statement demanding from the RA Government to withdraw from the RA National Assembly the problematic draft law "On Making Amendments to the RA Subsoil Code"; they demand from the RA National Assembly to return the bill to the RA Government on the grounds that it is unconstitutional, illegal or anti-popular.
The announcement was circulated in the press, civil society websites, social platforms, after which it was submitted as an application to the RA Prime Minister, the RA National Assembly Speaker.
As authoritative institutions that have advocated democracy in the Republic of Armenia for decades, we, the civil society organizations, ask for your support in connection with this demand, to act as a mediator in the process of recalling the proposition by the Armenian authorities".
February 24, 2022 at 16:08