Yerevan, Armenia - On March 25-26 at the Marriott Armenia Hotel, the Government of Armenia and the World Bank hosted an International Conference entitled “Responsible Mining in Armenia: Opportunities and Challenges”.
The goal of the conference is to facilitate dialogue between the various stakeholders of the mining industry in Armenia by informing stakeholder groups about modern mining and international best practices. The conference is supported by the EBRD, IFC, and Embassies of the U.K., U.S., Germany and Canada.
The Responsible Mining Conference brings together international and local experts, international diplomatic missions and civil society representatives to openly discuss current opportunities and challenges of the mining industry in Armenia. During the two-day conference international experts will share their expertise and experience with their counterparts and civil society representatives. The themes of discussion range from mining in the world economy, foreign investments, transparency and accountability of mining practices internationally and in Armenia, to social and environmental management measures.
The conference participants have the opportunity to explore various perspectives on responsible development of the mining sector in Armenia, including the improvement of social and environmental management, promotion of better investment climate, and increased transparency in the sector. This multilateral discussion of mining practices in Armenia intends to provide avenues of improving the regulatory and investment framework in the country.
The conference opened on March 25 with welcome remarks by RA Prime Minister Mr. Tirgan Sargsyan, Mr. Jean-Michel Happi, World Bank Country Manager for Armenia, and the Ambassadors of U.K., U.S., Germany and a representative of the Government of Canada.
“By engaging multiple stakeholders and the civil society, together, we aim to promote responsible mining in Armenia, learning from the best international practices. Armenia’s new mining code and the upcoming social and environmental regulatory framework will enhance the sector’s readiness for investments that are economically viable, socially responsible, environmentally sustainable.”, – noted Mr. Jean-Michel Happi, World Bank Country Manager for Armenia.
