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Armenia's prime minister clears Lydian's Amulsar gold project

Lydian International Ltd. said Sept. 9 that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan ruled out the company's need to prepare another environmental impact assessment, or EIA, to advance the Amulsar gold project.

In August, a third environmental audit on the unpopular project cleared Lydian from any wrongdoing. However, Pashinyan still asked the Ministry of the Environment to review the Special Investigative Committee of Armenia's assessment of Lydian's response to the latest audit, with the review inclined towards requiring Lydian to come up with a new EIA.

But during a live Facebook broadcast, Pashinyan said the project could be advanced under the current EIA and urged protesters stop a road blockade, which has put Lydian on the brink of further defaults. The Prime Minister said preventing the development could hurt the country's ability to attract foreign investment.

Pashinyan added that Armenia's Mining and Environmental Inspection Body will conduct an inspection to ensure Lydian is in compliance with its permits.

The company said it agreed to share access to its environmental monitoring apparatus, noting that the government also intends to establish its own monitoring capabilities.

Lydian said construction work is expected to restart in April or May of 2020, with some site rehabilitation planned in the interim. Production is targeted in the fourth quarter of 2020 or first quarter of 2021.