Lydian Armenia responded to activists with a statement on impact of  Amulsar project on Jermuk community

ArmInfo. In view of the fact that last week in Jermuk several activists told Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that Lydian Armenia never held any public discussions in  the community of the resort town of Jermuk, moreover, did not  recognize Jermuk as a community adjacent to the project, the company  spoke with counterclaim. This is stated in the official message of  Lydian Armenia.

"Let us begin with the question of whether a community adjacent to  the project is established exclusively within the framework of the  law - the Center for Expert Examination on the Environmental Impact  of the Ministry of Nature Protection of RA. And if the law in no way  obliged the company to hold public hearings in Jermuk, the company,  nevertheless, following international standards, still held two  public discussions on the social and environmental impact of the  Amulsar project on this territory. At the same time, relevant  information was posted on the company's website and distributed by  local media. Moreover, about 700 invitations to hear Jermuk residents  were handed over. Everyone had the opportunity to attend. It should  be noted that activists who could not take part in the discussions in  Jermuk received invitations to such a meeting, organized already in  Yerevan," Lydian Armenia said.

The statement that Jermuk has not benefited from the implementation  of the Amulsar project has been underlined in the company that Lydian  Armenia has confirmed on the basis of numerous scientific studies and  international expertise that the Amulsar project does not have any  influence on the Jermuk ecology.

Concerning economic benefits, the company provided the following  information: Social programs totaling 340 million drams were  implemented in Jermuk and Kechut communities. In particular, the  company sent 214 million drams for the construction and repair of  infrastructures (from 2012 to 2015, major repairs were carried out at  schools and kindergartens of Jermuk, and in 2013 and in 2016  territories adjacent to the music school and the School of Art were  asphalted; in 2014 - the construction of sports and children's  playgrounds in Jermuk and Kechut, the repair of the Jermuk Fire  Station in 2015, the installation of road signs and street lighting  in Jermuk in 2017, and in 2014 - the city of Jermuk provided two  snow-removing machines, in 2016 - the repair of the potable water  network in Kechut). On the development of tourism in Jermuk, the  company allocated 62 million AMD separately. In particular, the  company from 2011 to 2018 sponsored a chess tournament in Jermuk; in  2013 - conducted a study of the ski infrastructure of Jermuk and its  further potential, from 2017 to 2018 - held several seminars in the  field of tourism and hospitality.  On educational programs from 2014  to 2018. the company sent 29 million drams.

Lydian Armenia is a subsidiary of the British Lydian International,  whose shareholders are also large international institutional  investors from the United States, Great Britain and a number of  European countries, including IFC and EBRD. The Amulsar project is  the largest industrial project in Armenia for the development of the  Amulsar gold deposit at a total cost of $ 370 million. In August  2016, a project for the construction and development of the field was  launched. Preliminary work has been carried out since 2006.  The life  of the Amulsar deposit will be 10 years and 4 months, an annual  average of 200,000 ounces of gold (about 10 million tons of ore) is  planned. The company's shares are quoted on the Toronto Stock  Exchange.  Amulsar deposit is the second largest in Armenia.