Azerbaijan-Israel Association protests against Armenia's environmental provocation

The Azerbaijani diaspora in Israel has appealed to the international community in connection with another unacceptable step taken by Armenia to aggravate the environmental situation on the border with Azerbaijan, the State Committee for Work with the Diaspora told Caliber.Az.

In a statement made by the Azerbaijan-Israel International Association (Azİz) to the local public and international organizations, it is noted that the construction of a large metallurgical plant in Yeraskh village (Arazdeyen) on the border with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan with a capacity of 180,000 tons per year on an area of 16,500 square meters is deeply disturbing.

The statement says that this step is a flagrant violation by Armenia of norms and principles of international law, in particular 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 a major 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 approved by the relevant structures of Azerbaijan.

This step by Armenia is not the first case of non-compliance with international law, including environmental law. For example, Azerbaijan recently filed a just lawsuit against Armenia under the Espoo Convention in connection with plans to build a new nuclear reactor on the territory of the Metsamor nuclear power plant and obtained a ruling on Armenia's non-compliance with the Convention as a result. The industrial waters with large quantities of chemical elements emitted by Armenia's major mining enterprises - Gadjaran Copper-Molybdenum Plant and Kafan Mining and Processing Combine - for a long time intensively pollute the transboundary Okhchuchay River, having a serious negative impact on the environmental situation in Azerbaijan.

Azİz called on the international community to put pressure on Armenia, which is damaging the region's environmental security and committing acts contrary to international law.