SAUDI SHEIKH GETS FOREST; PUBLIC GETS DUPED!

[Yervant1]

 

SAUDI SHEIKH GETS FOREST; PUBLIC GETS DUPED!

Edik Baghdasaryan

 

HETQ

13:15, December 9, 2011

 

Yesterday, the RA government decided to allocate 147.51 hectares of

land belonging to the rural community of Artavaz to the company A&M

Rare Ltd. Much of the land in question is forested acreage in the

public trust.

 

The transfer came in the form of an open-ended, non-cost, leasing

arrangement and was proposed by Minister of Agriculture Sergo

Karapetyan.It is the Ministry of Agriculture that is mandated with

the protection and preservation of Armenia's forests.

 

So what were the arguments used by Minister Karapetyan to justify the

land transfer to Saudi Arabian Sheikh Muhammed Musallami and Armenian

MP Gagik Abrahamyan. (The latter is the brother of Russian-Armenian

businessman Ara Abrahamyan).

 

Here's the official justification:

 

"Due to the non-systematic logging as a consequence of the energy

crisis of the 1990s, the forests of Armenia were badly damaged. Much

of the forests have been degraded and are no longer able to reproduce.

 

In addition, the forests no longer carry out their environmental

functions (halting land erosion, water regulation, soil protection).

 

Erosion and soil loss has begun. Due to the energy crisis, the forests

and forested lands of Kotayk Marz have also suffered and are in need

of serious preservation. Thus, the preservation of these degraded

forests is a primary problem for the country."

 

There's also an interesting passage in the bill. Let's quote a part

dealing with public participation.

 

"The public was never informed regarding the RA government's

decision to allocate forested lands to A&M Rare Ltd. The public never

participated in the drafting of the bill or hearings regarding the

RA government's decision to allocate forested lands to A&M Rare Ltd."

 

In a word, this government couldn't care less what the people think.

 

Dear members of the government, there are lands in the Ararat Valley,

in Lori and Tavoush, the forests of Syunik, which are also degraded.

 

Lake Sevan is turning into marshland...So why don't you take all

these lands and hand them over to a few sheikhs and finish your

despicable mission.

 

After this, we will know whom to petition with our demands.

[MosJan]

ehhhhhhhh

[Yervant1]

news.am, Armenia

Dec 17 2011

 

Armenian minister agrees allocating forest to Arab sheikh, but in

return for what? - newspaper

 

December 17, 2011 | 09:21

 

 

YEREVAN. - Armenia's Nature Protection Minister Aram Harutyunyan

(a.k.a. Bulki, meaning `cookie') recently did perhaps the most

praiseworthy act throughout his activities. He refused to approve the

Government's draft decision, whereby around a 148-hectare forest was

allocated to Arab sheikh Mohammed Musallam, Zhoghovurd daily writes.

 

`This was the reason why the notorious Agriculture Minister Sergo

Karapatyan stated in his report: `We must give the forest to a

proprietor so we can save it from fires.' But since Bulki Aram is in a

vulnerable situation with his activities, he was unable to fight until

the end. We learned that the Arab's partner, [the ruling coalition's

Republican Party of Armenia] RPA MP - and brother of chairman Ara

Abrahamyan of [the Union of Armenians of Russia] UAS - Gagik Abrahamyan

sent envoys to Minister Harutyunyan, to give his written consent to

the allocation of the forest. They say Bulki has already agreed. But

in return for what?' Zhoghovurd writes.