Though mining in Armenia has great potentials of development, most mines are located in developed tourism areas, according to Movses Manukyan, the chief of the civil initiative group Healthy Hrazdan.

“Several trends of tourism development are being sketched in Armenia today. Among them are Jermuk with, its developing resort tourism and the millions of investments that still continue; the gorges of Aghveran and Hankavan; Tatev with its ropeway etc.” the environmentalist said, speaking at a news conference on Friday.

Manukyan noted that a mountain mine lying 15 km. off Jermuk now under construction, while an iron mine in the center of Hrazdan city, (3km.-4km. far from the Tsahkadzor resort) is due to open in the near future.

Ruben Grigoryan, the chief of the Romea tour group, said in that connection that tourism demands ecologically clean areas, with ecoutourism development being a relatively new business in Armenia.

“Tourism, on a global level, is considered one of the most rapidly developing and most profitable branches of economy. There are countries that gain 60%-70% of their profit from tourism,” he said, adding that they avoid taking tourists to areas situated near mines.

According to him, the opinion that mining brings larger profits than tourism cannot be considered right.

Asked about the growing number of miners in Armenia, the chief of the Greens’ Union, Hakob Sanasaryan, attributed the problem to tax errors.

“Anyone working in the mining industries sector normally pays the income tax and the other minor taxes, by mining in general is excluded from the taxation field. Only a small amount of the taxes is levied,” he said, adding that the emission of sulfur oxide in Armenia costs only 1,800 drams ($4.41), unlike Sweden where a similar procedure would cost 2,405 US Dollars.