Armenian Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan, responding to a question about trees allegedly being cut down by Azerbaijanis in the Shikahogh Nature Reserve, stated that nothing beyond Armenia’s 29,743-square-kilometer territory is a focus of the authorities’ attention.
Journalists asked whether the Armenian authorities planned to raise the environmental issue resulting from Azerbaijan’s actions with foreign partners during the international COP17 conference, Panorama.am reports.
Papoyan emphasized that all necessary measures to preserve biodiversity would be carried out in areas falling within the demarcated border, while anything outside that border would be beyond the authorities’ area of concern.
“Every country has the right to decide for itself what it does on its own territory,” he said.
The question was raised again: “Azerbaijanis are cutting down forests in the reserve on Armenian territory.”
The minister replied: “Armenia’s territory is 29,743 square kilometers, and our main task is to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan in the future and carry out the complete delimitation and demarcation of the 29,743-square-kilometer territory.”
On June 16, 2024, during a visit to Syunik Province, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also met with residents of Shikahogh and discussed border delimitation.
