We’ve given up on receiving any information or answers from PM Tigran Sargsyan

Hetq has periodically sent a number of written requests to RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan asking that he clarify this or that statement or government decision. Usually, they remain unanswered or else the answer comes from a bureaucrat down the ladder and has little relation to our original query.

Here’s a recent example of this Catch 22 conundrum. We should note that the inquiry was sent twice, once by email to the government’s press secretary and once by registered mail to the Prime Minister Sargsyan.

Dear Mr. Sargsyan,

In January of this year, Fortune Oil, a Chinese company, purchases three iron mines in Armenia – in Hrazdan, Abovyan and one in the village of Svarants near the Tatev monastery complex. On February 23, in a meeting with a Fortune Oil delegation, you discussed the company’s investment plans for these mines. Without doubt, the Svarants operation will negatively impact the “Tatev Rebirth” eco-tourism project taking place there.

In a press release, Fortune Oil states that in 2014 it plans to start operating the Svarants mine. We would like to know what your opinion is regarding the company’s project at Svarants. Do you believe that mining and eco-tourism can exist side by side?

We had to wait quite a bit to receive an answer from Minister of the Economy Tigran Davtyan; an answer which we can only assume is the personal opinion of Prime Minister Sargsyan.

In a nutshell, the reply states that the development rights to the three mines in question have been allocate by the RA Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources according to the applicable laws on the books. (I won’t bore readers with the details).

The reply goes on to state, and I paraphrase, that during the February 23 meeting between Fortune Oil and Prime Minister Sargsyan, the issue of maintaining strict environmental standards was raised. It goes on to say Fortune Oil’s Managing Deputy Director made assurances that the company would pay special attention to the protection of the environment.

In conclusion, Minister Davtyan states that all appropriate agencies of the government will closely follow the operating process at Svarants, just as it does with other mining sector projects, to see that all environmental norms and obligations are rigidly adhered to.

So, dear readers, these are the types of answers we receive from the government- answers that convey little of substance, if any.

In the future, we will periodically publish other inquiries sent to the prime minister and the “answers” received from official and departments down the chain of command.