A memorandum of intent was signed yesterday at the Ministry of Territorial Administration in Yerevan calling for the creation of four additional "Aarhus" eco-information centers in Stepanavan, Yeghvard, Yeghegnadzor and Abaran. The centers fall within the parameters of the Aarhus Convention (UN Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to justice in Environmental Matters) signed in the Danish city of Aarhus in 1998. As of April 2008, it had been signed by 40 (primarily European and Central Asian) countries and the European Community and ratified by 41 countries. The convention focuses on interactions between the public and public authorities concerning the local, national and transboundary environment. Signing the memo of intent was ROA Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Territorial Administration Armen Gevorgyan, Minister of Nature Protection Aram Harutyunyan and Ambassador Sergei Kapinos who heads the OSCE's Yerevan Office. The number of such public ecological information centers now increases to thirteen. Ambassaor Kapinos noted at the signing that, "Aarhus centers are important to spur the development of 'green democracy'. The OSCE office in Yerevan will continue to assist the Armenian government to implement the obligations set by international conventions."