At a press conference held today, Inga Zarafyan, President of Ecolur, an environmental NGO, stated that as a result of the warnings raised by the group and other concerned social activists, a number of RoA ministers have come out against plans by GeoProMining to build a gold reprocessing plant on the shores of Lake Sevan.

She stated that among those voicing opposition to the Sotk plan were Energy and Natural Resources Minister Armen Movsisyan, Economic Minister Nerses Yeritsyan and Vladimir Movsisyan, President of the Lake Sevan Committee.

President Serzh Sargsyan, in a statement made to residents of Gegharkunik Marz, said that if the plant will be of benefit the government will back it but if the plant will do more harm than good, the government will back off.

Mrs. Zarafyan concluded that the president is thus waiting for more concrete evidence that the Sotk plant will be of economic benefit. She said that GeoProMining is now conducting feasibility studies to obtain such proof. The studies should be completed by this October. In her opinion, the lobby in support of the project will then take off and that the company will attempt to change the law regarding Lake Sevan in its favor.

She also said that GeoProMining Executive Dirtector Dima Kalandadze and Vardan Vardanyan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of GPM Gold, a sister company, have stated that if they aren't granted the right to relocate the Sotk plant to Sevan that they would refuse to operate the Sotk mine. Presently, the mineral ore extracted from Sotk is reprocessed in Ararat.

SOS Sevan, an alliance of concerned environmemntal groups, is afraid that if GeoProMining is allowed to set up shop on the shores of Lake Sevan it will open the doors for other companies to follow. Thus, SOS Sevan states that it is preparing to expand its activities in the public sphere to raise awareness about the dangers of the Sotk project.