At a press conference today, Vladimir Movsisyan, President of the Sevan Committee commissioned by President Sargsyan to review the pressing problems faced by the lake and to come up with possible resolutions, stated that the way forward to saving Lake Sevan was three-fold.  "First, the lake’s surface must rise. Second, the purity of the lake’s water must be preserved and third, biological diversity must be restored," Mr. Movsisyan declared. He stated that what is ensuring the lake’s surface level to rise is the Arpa-Sevan tunnel and that this year 522 linear meters of the tunnel’s base was repaired at a cost of 605 million AMD. Mr. Movsisyan stated that the repairs have allowed for 171 million cubic meters of water to be transferred to Sevan this year as opposed to 168 last year. "We have to cut down on water seepage in the tunnel as much as possible, he said, adding that, "126 million cubic meters of water was released from the lake this year for irrigation purposes even though it 142 million was planned for. This is 65 million less than the past five year average of 174 million." Mr. Movsisyan stated that as of January 1, 2009, the surface of the lake had risen by 45 centimeters. The commission president stated that this year the cleaning of the forested shores around the lake would begin and that a project to renovate the sewage systems in the shore communities of Martuni, Vartenis, Sevan and Jermuk, sponsored by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, had also begun. Mr. Movsisyan concluded by noting that the commission had drafted a proposal package focusing on eight primary issues confronting Lake Sevan that would soon be sent to the government for review.