In response to the statement circulated by the Seaside Startup Summit, in which it is stated that the holding of the "Summit" is canceled this year for not providing an area by the relevant agency, we deem it necessary to clarify.
Three letters were addressed to the Ministry of Environment by Startup Armenia Foundation.
In response to the first letter, the Ministry proposed to consider the areas of the public beach of the park adjacent to Tsovagyugh community or the areas of the public beach of Drakhtik for the organization of "Sevan Startup Summit 2021" event, which they disapproved, briefing in another letter that they want to organize it in "Norashen" sanctuary, in the immediate vicinity of “Norashen” reserve of ''Sevan'' national park.
The objective  of establishing  Norashen reserve and sanctuary is to ensure the normal lifestyle and reproduction of birds on the peninsulas adjacent to the area, remarkably of the  Armenian gull, as the only endemic bird nesting in the Armenian highlands,  as well as  to ensure natural conditions for the rest and the lifestyle of the birds regularly met during the migration and for migratory guest birds in “Norashen” sanctuary.
 In recent years (2019-2020), due to the water level increase of Lake Sevan, as well as in 2020, conditioned by  the epidemic and martial law, restricting the flow of people to the reserve and sanctuary area, the birds' nesting locations have changed, and they have also begun to lay their eggs in the coastal areas of the reserve and the sanctuary. As a result of the reduction of the human factor, the species and number of migratory guest birds have increased in recent years.
The organizers submitted another note, requesting to review the decree, presenting details of the organizational, preparatory, dismantling works of the event attached.
That is, the entry of 10.000 invited guests-visitors to the area, installation and dismantling works envisaged for the event (64 days), 600 tents, 2 stages, installation of 40 bio-toilets, sound and light effects.
In response, the Ministry said that holding a long-lasting multi-thousand event at the Sevan Startup Summit 2021 will not only completely deprive the SNCO of its protection of the sanctuary, but also will endanger and damage the Armenian gull population.
Additionally, similar overcrowding in the area of special protection regime will lead to a negative public reaction, will create problems for the application of restrictions imposed by law in the territory of the SNCO, for the rejection of applications for public events in the sanctuary of other organizations.
However, after discussing the issue in detail once, taking into consideration the importance of the event, the organizers were ALLOWED to hold the event there, but with a number of restrictions (note attached) due to legal regulations of reserve regime and  sanctuaries (specially protected areas of nature) regulated by the RA legislation, which they disapproved, reasoning that the event, which assumes about 10.000 participants, could not be effected with such restrictions.
Sorry, that the organizers have decided to cancel the Summit. The proposition to hold the event remains in force in another place under the management of “Sevan” national park, which does not have the status of a reserve or sanctuary.