OSCE Office helps open Aarhus environmental information Centre in Armenia's Tavush province

YERAVAN, 13 March 2006 - The OSCE Office in Yerevan has supported the opening of an Aarhus public environmental information Centre in the capital of Armenia's Tavush province, Idjevan.

"The Centre will promote public access to information, participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters -- the three main pillars of the Aarhus Convention ratified by Armenia in 2001," said Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, the Head of the OSCE Office.

"Serving as a unique link between governmental authorities and non-governmental organizations in the field of environmental policy-making and awareness raising, the Centre will help create a climate of transparency in environmental affairs and contribute to the democratization and good governance in the region."

The OSCE Office in Yerevan supports the establishment of a network of Aarhus Centres in Armenia to promote the principles and values of the international Aarhus Convention and to address security related environmental issues.