MFA_Report_on_the_occupied_territories_March_2016_1

protection) in the Bashitchay National Reserve
in the occupied Zangilan district. These rare
trees are subjected to felling and cutting for
timber, which is exported out of the occupied
territories for furniture, barrel and rifle
production. Many species of trees for a long
time are on the verge of disappearance.
In 1993 only, some 206,6 thousand cubic
meters of valuable types of timber were taken
to Armenia. In 1996, 55 ha of walnut trees of
Leshkar forest area, planted in 1957-1958,
were cut down. 538 The evidence confirms that
cutting of walnut-trees, oak and other trees is continuing. Back in 2003, the Armenian sources
reported that some 10,000 walnut trees were cut down in the occupied territories. 539 It is difficult
to find out how many hectares of forest have been cut to date in reality. However, even the
Armenian own sources confirm that illegal cutting of trees in the occupied territories and timber
cutting is on the rise. 540 Thus, some 45,359 m³ of timber was cut in 2010, while that volume
increased to 96,237 in 2013. 541
“Varanda CJSC” wood processing factory produces
barrels from oak trees cut in the occupied territories
│Photo by Dmitrii Egorov│www.livejournal.com
│03 April 2012
Unlawful timber cutting and exports of rare species of trees from the
occupied territories of Azerbaijan is on the rise
│Photo from www.hetq.am│11 July 2012
Among the companies engaged in cutting and illicit trade
in timber from the occupied territories is Max Wood
Ltd., Armenian-registered company established by
Mher Bagratyan and Enrique Viver Camin from Spain. 542
In 2000, Camin established a wood-drying operation in
Koghb village in Armenia’s Tavush region, which caused
serious damage to the regional environment by cutting
down the valuable trees in the area. With outstanding
debts to the Armenian forestry service and protests of
the local population, Camin relocated his wood business
into the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Member of
Armenian Parliament from the ruling Republican Party,
Harutyun Pambukyan, confirmed that:
“… at a time when many were avoiding doing business with Nagorno Karabakh, yes, Max
Wood Ltd., with the efforts and direct participation of myself and my friends, reached
unprecedented agreements with several renowned European companies, such as Beretta
and Browning, to send them wooden details for hunting rifles made from the roots of
walnut trees…” 543
The Armenian sources indicate that Max Wood Ltd. continues to cut down walnut and other
types of trees in the occupied territories.
The mining companies that acquire illegal “licenses” for exploitation of mineral resources in the
occupied territories have poor environmental record in Armenia and continue the same practice
in those territories, paying no regard whatsoever to the environment. 544 As a result, depredatory
538
See UN Doc. A/58/594-S/2003/1090, 13 November 2003.
539
See “Walnut trees cut down in Karabakh”, Hetq.am, 25 September 2003, .
540
See “Statistical Yearbook Of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, 2007-2013”, .
541
Ibid.
542
Ibid.
543
See “I Have No Association With Max Wood”, Hetq.am, 24 September 2007, .
544
See “Teghut, Drembon, Alaverdi, and the Politics of Pollution”, Armeniatree.org, 01 September 2007, .
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