YEREVAN. - In Dilijan National Park illegal deforestation increased 1.5 times in relation to previous year, said environment protection activist Inga Zarafyan to a press conference on Wednesday.

According to her, the trees are brought down for construction reasons because tourism and leisure time organization is authorized on the territory of the park.

The head of Tourism Department of Armenian Ministry of Economy Mekhak Apresyan argued that the nature is not given to us to gaze at it from afar.

‘‘The nature and historical monuments must be exploited in accordance with set norms and use the income for the benefit of the same nature and monuments. This is one of the principles for sustainable development,’’ said the official.