Past daily of Armenia writes as follows, in particular: These days when Yerevan has hosted the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, COP17, and beautiful environmental speeches have been and will be heard from the highest international podiums, the reality is completely different in the southern gate of Armenia, in the Shikahogh State Reserve.
As a result of Azerbaijan’s aggressive and militarized policy adopted in the region, occupation of border areas, deforestation and deliberate destruction of ecosystems, one of the richest and most vulnerable natural environments in our country is endangered.
The Shikahogh Reserve, where rare animals registered in the Red Book live and exclusive plant species grow, has today effectively turned into a militarized danger zone, where wildlife is being killed without making a fuss. This is not an ordinary environmental issue, but a deliberate ecocide, the consequences of which will be borne by future generations.
Wildlife can no longer remain silent when its home is destroyed because of political ambitions and hostile encroachments. Environmental protection cannot be limited to announcements made in closed halls and formality discussions of “green” agendas. If the attention of the international community, environmental organizations, and decision-makers within the framework of COP17 is not drawn to the environmental crimes being committed by Azerbaijan, then any global conference loses its true meaning and value.
The screaming problems of Armenia’s natural world, the wounded ecosystem of Shikahogh, and the loss of biodiversity should become one of the key topics of the summit in Yerevan. We are obliged to deliver that alarm, because if we remain silent today and allow the destruction of our homeland, tomorrow no "green" forum will be able to restore the lost homeland and its wounded nature.