U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy believes the stalled Amulsar gold mining project in Armenia has the potential to boost the country’s economy and has called for “an expeditious and transparent resolution of outstanding disputes around the project.”

The U.S. Embassy to Armenia, in a Facebook post today, says Tracy visited the Amulsar site on April 20 and that “she welcomes Lydian’s commitment to upholding the highest international labor and environmental standards.”

Public controversy has surrounded Amulsar since Armenia’s 2018 “Velvet Revolution”, when area residents and environmental activists blockaded the site, forcing a standoff between international development banks that support the mine, the Armenian government and those opposed to the project.

Lydian Armenia, a subsidiary of Jersey-registered mining company Lydian International, has tried to launch a gold mining operation at Amulsar, in southern Armenia, for years.  

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has since pulled out of the Amulsar project.