РЕСПУБЛИКА АРМЕНИЯ
МИНИСТЕРСТВО ОКРУЖАЮЩЕЙ СРЕДЫ
03.11.2016
Focusing on environmental priorities of natural monuments to promote the development of ecotourism

RA Minister of Nature Protection Artsvik Minasyan received Caucasus Nature Fund /CNF/ Executive Director Geof Giacomini, RA National Coordinator Arman Vermishyan and Financial Consultant Vardan Grigoryan. Artsvik Minasyan greeted the guests and stressed the necessity to intensify a close cooperation between the RA Ministry of Nature Protection and Caucasus Nature Fund. RA Minister of Nature Protection expressed willingness to discuss increase in scope of programs conducted by the organizations; the latter will enable to make environmental preservation more target thus creating opportunities to provide sustainable development for our country.      The RA Minister emphasized:'' In general, nature protection is regarded as a costly sector, though there are prerequisites to elaborate it as a means of development''.   Geof Giacomini, congratulating Artsvik Minasyan on the appointment, expressed CNF’s willingness to work harder alongside the RA Ministry of Nature Protection towards further progress of Armenia. Firstly, by addressing to preserve wildlife, CNF also schedules conducing to the solutions of social problems of adjacent communities to specially protected areas of nature.    At the meeting they referred to passport problems of natural monuments. The RA Minister of Nature Protection informed that furnishing of alternative methods will facilitate to fix natural monuments as environmental priorities and besides due to complex mechanism forming effectively involve them in the development process of ecotourism either in Armenia or in the region. The parties agreed to solve issues on mapping and passport of ''Symphony of Stones'' natural monument of Garni within the scope of ongoing projects of CNF. Afterwards, it was decided to organize continual workshops and outgoing sessions in order to broaden a cooperation of the RA MNP and CNF.