Armenia is coordinating with Turkey on the construction of a new dam along the Araz River near their mutual border. According to reports, the border protection infrastructure is planned to be built not directly on the Araz River itself, but on the Armenian side of the riverbank.

Environmental expert Rövşən Abbasov, in his comments to the news outlet Bizimyol.info, stated that this issue must be discussed and agreed upon with Azerbaijan.

“I believe this matter must definitely be coordinated with Azerbaijan. Because the construction of a dam on the Araz River could ultimately lead to a reduction in the amount of water flowing into Azerbaijan. This, of course, would contradict international conventions. Armenia is a signatory to the Espoo Convention (Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context — editor’s note). According to this convention, if an activity carried out on the territory of one state has an impact on another state, that activity must be coordinated with the neighboring country.”

Abbasov added that Azerbaijan should at least express its concern over the issue through bilateral relations:

“In any case, we should voice our concerns through bilateral channels and be informed about how the issue will be resolved. If an activity implemented within one state’s territory affects the interests of another state, that state must at least be notified, and the environmental impact must be assessed. Therefore, such matters should be coordinated with the affected country,” he emphasized.

Günel Həsənova, Bizimyol.info