At the suggestion of President of “Armenian Union of Greens” NGO Hakob Sanasaryan, issues relating to efficient utilization of Amulsar gold-bearing quartzite deposit and project’s environmental impact assessments were considered at the session of the Public Council attached to the RA Minister of Nature Protection.  Opening the session, RA  Minister of  Nature Protection Artsvik Minasyan notified the Council members that a group of international experts led by Harutyun Bronozyan, once again expressed wish to have a meeting with the experts of "Lydian Armenia" CJSC under the aegis of the Ministry of Nature Protection of RA. “International experts have previously refused the similar undertaking and the Ministry of Nature Protection of RA had to host only the experts of Lydian Armenia in January, 2018. Having the previous unsuccessful experience, we have again agreed to organize a meeting, an objective discussion determined by experts with a expectation of responding to  the questions  which are of concern to public. We anticipate that for and against arguments will be fairly presented at the meeting on condition that clear-cut and final assessments will be made and the tasks will be clarified. Otherwise, you should not regularly express views on the same issue without providing solutions, thus doing damage to the processes": stated Artsvik Minasyan and added that the meeting envisaged to be held at the beginning of May will be only with the participation of experts of both sides and non-governmental organizations, whereas a separate meeting is projected with the media means.  Hakob Sanasaryan, a member of the Public Council alongside  the RA Minister of Nature Protection reported on the only issue of the agenda. The speaker expressed concern that mining exploitation  is conducted  in Arpa, Vorotan, and the tributary of Darb River, that  can have a significant impact on the water resources of region and ultimately, the quality of Lake Sevan. H. Sanasaryan submitted environmental risks, damages causing to the flora and fauna, illustrated in Amulsar gold-bearing quartzite deposit, and expressed concern that technical projects meant for minimizing environmental impacts are insufficient. The President of “Armenian Union of Greens” NGO raised the issue concerning economic efficiency of the project, as there is a  great amount of valuable minerals and other metals in the mine, since it is planned to extract only gold and silver.     In the course of the discussion, which lasted more than three hours, the members of the Public Council and invited guests had the opportunity to deliver speeches and raise their questions; both the speaker and Director for sustainable development of Lydian Armenia Armen Stepanyan and Specialist of "Environmental Impact Expertise Center'' SNCO Arthur Minasyan replied the questions.   H. Sanasaryan concluded that the mining project is not completed and must be revoked. Minister Artsvik Minasyan reminded the members of the council that the Ministry of Nature Protection shapes a normative decision-making and administrative body and acts exclusively within the scope of the powers  prescribed by law and has enter the provisions of the law into force, which will enable revoking the expertise inference. The Minister stated that presently, the mentioned bases are not available and the expertise process was accomplished within the framework of the law.       Inga Zarafyan, President of “EcoLur” Informational NGO, stressed that mining exploitation has started and suggested to supervise public monitoring with the objective to  exclude deviations from the project. Armen Stepanyan, the representative of “Lydian Armenia” CJSC invited those, who wish to participate in the monitoring, which is already executed in the mine with the participation of the residents of adjacent communities, mentioning that the monitoring procedure is demonstrated in the project having acquired  environmental expertise positive inference. The speaker also submitted the project structure, illustrating and evaluating the condition, risk predictions, prevention measures and management plans in which the flexibility component was introduced. A. Stepanyan informed that envisaged preventive measures had an in-depth submission in the project’s annexes. Answering Artsvik Minasyan's question, the Director of "Lydia Armenia" CJSC also came up with the activities directed to acid mine drainage management which is of concern to public. Arthur Minasyan,  Specialist of “Environmental Impact Expertise Center'' SNCO stressed in his speech that the project thoroughly  outlines the mechanisms of minimizing the risk of exposure, and only the  extraction of gold and silver is conditioned by the license issued by the Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of RA, where only gold and silver industrial reserves are established. Referring to cyanide issue worrying the public, the specialist briefed that after meeting the essential standards, "Lydian Armenia" CJSC became a signatory to the International Cyanide Management Code and committed to follow the Cyanide Code's principles. Arthur Minasyan stated that there were held four public reviews in expertise procedures defined by the law, and only  Civil Voices NGO presented a proposal.     Recapping the results of the meeting, Artsvik Minasyan extended a vote of thanks to H. Sanasaryan for consistent and large-scale work, and emphasized that raised and unanswered questions have been recorded and will subject to additional professional survey. The Minister also notified that at present qualitative changes have not been detected due to the water resource monitoring done in the nearby areas. By laying special emphasis on the consultation held in the Public Council, A. Minasyan stated that its outputs will be transferred to the professional platform in the future, at the planned meeting of international experts. "The Council platform is significant for raising and setting forth concerns for  a state body and extractive company, which greatly contributes to the involvement of public structures in management procedures" said the Chairman of the Public Council.