YEREVAN, DECEMBER 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The OSCE Yerevan Office begins working more actively in the sphere of ecological safety of RA Syunik region. On December 22-25, the office experts held a number of meetings with representatives of Syunik regional administration, as well as with interested circles of ecological public and intelligentsia, representatives of mass media and NGO is Kapan, Kajaran and villages of Geghanush, Chakaten, Tsav, Shikahogh, Srashen, Nerkin And. A special attention was paid to the "hot ecological spots" of Syunik, about which the residents themselves told. One of the greatest problems is the activity of Kajaran copper-molybdenum complex, which provides practically the whole town population with job. According to Kajaran Mayor Vardan Gevorgian, many social problems of the town are solved at the expense of the fund established by the complex. However, ecological problems are solved at not so quick rates. For instance, they managed to achieve that lorries with a molybdenum concentrate driving away from the complex territory be cleaned by a special method so as not to spread poisonous wastes. And other more expensive methods of ecological protection, for instance, installation of special filters, aren't applied yet. In spite of unfavorable nature conditions, the ecological situation in Syunik villages is also complicated. For instance, many residents confirmed facts of mass fellings of trees. They affirmed that "customers" arrive in villages, hire workers, then take the forest by lorries "no one knows where". There are also such orders "from without" for the rare species of fish "karmrakhayt," which is on the verge of disappearance. The residents get this fish by barbarian methods, for instance, by application of high-tension current or by throwing away high-concentrated chlorine compounds to the river. Then this fish appeares in the menu of the most authoritative restaurants. The OSCE office experts decided to arrange the contact of residents of communities with Kapan Public Ecological Information Center that opened with the assistance of OSCE. They shared the experience of conducting information campaigns, as in case of Shikahogh reserve. Besides, brochures of the series "We And Our Planet" and placards were given out at schools of 8 populated areas of the region. And children of the remote villages were given New Year gifts by OSCE.

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