YEREVAN. - The AARHUS Convention Compliance Committee has urged Armenia to carry out its obligations, otherwise the issue of quitting its membership to AARHUS will be put to discussion.

Armenian AARHUS centers press officer Maria Chakryan told the aforementioned to Armenian News – NEWS.am.

Chakryan also said that Armenia had to precisely present the public participation in any process related to the regulation of environmental issues. According to her, Armenia had to develop a public participation procedure and submit a report to the AARHUS Convention Compliance Committee, which was delayed.  

“Armenia submitted a report on the implemented measures, but the English version of the document wasn’t presented. And thus Armenia received the second warning to carry out the obligations,” she said, adding that the Committee has given Armenia time to correct the faults and develop strategic steps. 

Referring to the incident, Armenia’s Nature Protection Ministry representatives told us that the AARHUS Convention Compliance Committee didn’t send a warning but merely a reminder, which is sent to all the member countries.

“Our issue was the adoption of a new law on expert examination, enhancement of new approaches, public participation procedure. The new law was adopted, amendments were made, the government adopted the decision, but we had a problem: it had to be translated into Armenian but we didn’t manage that and were late. The translation is already underway now and there is nothing to worry about; everything is all right,” the AARHUS Convention Coordinator Aida Iskoyan said.  

Armenia joined the AARHUS Convention in 1989. Under the Convention, the country is obliged to provide user-friendly information and ensure public’s participation in the environment-related decisions.