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GRAZING ROW: OFFICIALS IN YEREVAN SAY SPEAKING ABOUT LEASING PASTURES TO IRANIANS INAPPROPRIATE YET
http://armenianow.com/news/43207/armenia_iran_grazing_pastures_dispute
NEWS | 06.02.13 | 15:27
Photolure
By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Environmentalists and some politicians are concerned over the possible
lease of pastures in Armenia's southern Syunik province to the
neighboring country, Iran, and point out two major objections -
potential overgrazing and national security issues.
However, while many claim that the lease of Syunik's grazing lands to
Iran is a done deal, the Ministry of Territorial Administration of
Armenia released a statement Wednesday according to which no
"agreement implying any legal consequences" has been signed between
Iran's Eastern Atropatene and Armenia's Syunik provinces.
The Ecololur environmental NGO posted two documents on its site on
February 1 (these documents cannot be found on the government
website), one of which is titled "Memorandum of understanding between
Iran's Eastern Atropatene province and RA Syunik province". The NGO
especially highlights Point 3 in this document signed by the governors
of Syunik and Eastern Atropatene on July, 2012: "The Iranian side has
expressed its willingness to use the pastures and agricultural farming
lands." The second document was signed on January 15, 2013, during the
Armenian delegation's visit to the Eastern Atropatene and is called an
Agreement. In particular, it becomes clear that Iranians want to rent
50,000 hectares of grazing land for the minimum of 10 years and pay
$25 per hectare of land per month. The NGO draws a conclusion that
"the process has started, and the plan is to make it happen on a local
level to avoid undesirable publicity".
Dashnak MP Aghvan Vardanyan voicing his concerns (related to these
documents) from the parliament rostrum on Tuesday, asked: "What's in
this deal for our country? How does it benefit? Will the neighboring
farms win or lose? What will be the political, psychological, and
environmental consequences?"
The territorial administration ministry, however, stated today that
the two documents posted by Ecolur are merely records of the results
achieved in the meeting between the two delegations - offers,
negotiation points, the approaches to the issues discussed, etc.
"The issues registered in those documents need final solutions on
interstate level, and if necessary go through legally prescribed
procedures," reads the statement, further saying that until respective
rent/lease agreements are signed as required by the legislation
regulating the field, it is improper to speak about the lease of
pastures in Syunik.
Remarkably, Iranian presidential candidate Ayatollah Mohammad Baqir
Kharrazi, the secretary-general of Hezbollah, made a curious statement
Monday concerning the Armenian lands. REGNUM news agency cites him
introducing the cornerstone of his election platform: he has vowed he
would return Armenia, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan to Iran without
shedding a single drop of blood.
http://armenianow.com/news/43207/armenia_iran_grazing_pastures_dispute
NEWS | 06.02.13 | 15:27
Photolure
By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Environmentalists and some politicians are concerned over the possible
lease of pastures in Armenia's southern Syunik province to the
neighboring country, Iran, and point out two major objections -
potential overgrazing and national security issues.
However, while many claim that the lease of Syunik's grazing lands to
Iran is a done deal, the Ministry of Territorial Administration of
Armenia released a statement Wednesday according to which no
"agreement implying any legal consequences" has been signed between
Iran's Eastern Atropatene and Armenia's Syunik provinces.
The Ecololur environmental NGO posted two documents on its site on
February 1 (these documents cannot be found on the government
website), one of which is titled "Memorandum of understanding between
Iran's Eastern Atropatene province and RA Syunik province". The NGO
especially highlights Point 3 in this document signed by the governors
of Syunik and Eastern Atropatene on July, 2012: "The Iranian side has
expressed its willingness to use the pastures and agricultural farming
lands." The second document was signed on January 15, 2013, during the
Armenian delegation's visit to the Eastern Atropatene and is called an
Agreement. In particular, it becomes clear that Iranians want to rent
50,000 hectares of grazing land for the minimum of 10 years and pay
$25 per hectare of land per month. The NGO draws a conclusion that
"the process has started, and the plan is to make it happen on a local
level to avoid undesirable publicity".
Dashnak MP Aghvan Vardanyan voicing his concerns (related to these
documents) from the parliament rostrum on Tuesday, asked: "What's in
this deal for our country? How does it benefit? Will the neighboring
farms win or lose? What will be the political, psychological, and
environmental consequences?"
The territorial administration ministry, however, stated today that
the two documents posted by Ecolur are merely records of the results
achieved in the meeting between the two delegations - offers,
negotiation points, the approaches to the issues discussed, etc.
"The issues registered in those documents need final solutions on
interstate level, and if necessary go through legally prescribed
procedures," reads the statement, further saying that until respective
rent/lease agreements are signed as required by the legislation
regulating the field, it is improper to speak about the lease of
pastures in Syunik.
Remarkably, Iranian presidential candidate Ayatollah Mohammad Baqir
Kharrazi, the secretary-general of Hezbollah, made a curious statement
Monday concerning the Armenian lands. REGNUM news agency cites him
introducing the cornerstone of his election platform: he has vowed he
would return Armenia, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan to Iran without
shedding a single drop of blood.