EcoLur
S.O.S. Teghout Group consisting of NGOs, as well as individual citizens who protest against Teghout copper and molybdenum mine development, call Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to persuade Russian VneshTorgBank to refrain from Teghout project funding. This call is timed to Russian President’s visit to Armenia from 19 to 21 August.
Below is the full text of the letter:
To Mr. Dmitry Medvedev
President of Russian Federation
Dear Mr. President!
We, citizens of Armenia, welcome the policy you declared in regard with environmental security and sustainable development. We think it’s important that possessing significant natural resources Russia is conscious of its responsibility towards next generations for sustainable nature management.
Together with you and Russian people we empathize in regard with human and natural losses you suffered because of wide-scale fires in the central part of the Russian Federation and elimination of woodlands hard to recover.
Loss of natural resources threatens also us, as the forest in Armenia is disappearing at disastrous rates thus polluting pure water sources. Not only Armenia, but also the whole world is incurring these losses.
Thereby we would like to draw Your attention to Russian VneshTorgBank’s activities, which intends to grant a loan of nearly 300 million USD to develop copper and molybdenum mine in Teghout forest, one of the remaining virgin forests in Armenia.
Independent experts and public repeatedly pointed out the incompliance of Teghout project to domestic and international legislation, its economic unsoundness, violation of environmental security principles, pollution and water resources loss risks, probability of landslip processes in the areas where high hazard rating buildings will be located such as tailing dump and dumps containing toxic metals etc.
VTB administration refuses to have a dialog with public; it doesn’t answer letters and neglects public protest by resorting to force.
We would like to draw Your attention the policy run by VTB led to the fact that, due to public calls, many organizations and private individuals refrain from VTB services which has an impact on this huge financial institution’s image.
We would also like to make you aware, at present the Armenian Government decision on Teghout mine development and other consequent decisions are disputed in many domestic courts, as well as in the European Court of Human Rights.
Mr. President, we call you to persuade the Russian VneshTorgBank to refrain from Teghout project funding. We do believe this can have a positive role in strengthening trust between our countries in current complicated situation with socio-economic relations.
On behalf of S.O.S. Teghout Group and 5000 citizens having signed the letter opposing to Teghout project:
1. Mamikon Ghasabyan, Armenian Society for the Protection of Birds/BirdLife in Armenia
2. Zhanna Galyan, "Armenian Ecotourism Association"
3. Edgar Yengibaryan, Coordinator for the Aarhus Center in Hrazdan
4. Nikita Zarobyan, Teghout Forests Protection Group Member
5. Sona Ayvazyan, Teghout Forests Protection Group Member
6. Mariam Sukhudyan, Teghout Forests Protection Group Member
7. Nelli Gugenyan, Teghout Forests Protection Group Member
8. Samvel Hovhannisyan, “Bicycle+” NGO Chairman
9. Vahram Soghomonyan, “We Are Our City’s Owners” Initiative Movement”
10. Mane Hakobyan, “People Are Their Country’s Owners” Union Chairman
11. Inga Zarafyan, “EcoLur” Informational NGO President
12. Arman Vermishyan, “Burg” Youth Environmental Center
13. Gevorg Petrosyan, “Biosophia” President, the Coordinator for the Aarhus Center in Gyumri
14. Yelena Manvelyan, “Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment” NGO
15. Silva Adamyan, Bird Lovers Center NGO
16. Greta Gabrielyan, Ecological Academy
17. Hasmik Aslanyan, “Shogher” Union
18. Levon Matsakyan, Children’s campus
19. Qnarik Hovhannisyan, Union for Armenian Seismologists
August 20, 2010