The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan has “strongly condemned” Armenia’s decision to construct a large metallurgical plant in an area bordering on the Nakhijevan Autonomous Region.

Armenian Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan earlier shared information and videos confirming the construction the plant with an annual production capacity of 180,000 tons on an area of 16,500 square meters in the village of Yeraskh.

“Armenia is once again flagrantly violating the norms and principles of international law, especially the provisions of the UN Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention),” the Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, June 7, Haqqin.az reports.

As a party to the Espoo Convention, the Azerbaijani Ministry argued, Armenia “had to ensure the participation of Azerbaijan”

The Ministry also revealed that some time ago, Azerbaijan filed a lawsuit against Armenia under the Espoo Convention regarding Yerevan’s plans to build a new nuclear reactor on the territory of the Metsamor nuclear power plant.