Nagorno-Karabakh: network of eco-village created from three villages

At the initiative of environmentalists of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, a network of eco-villages named "Ecokhndzoristan" was created, which includes the Karabakh villages of Khndzoristan, Patara and Astkhashen. The project assumes to produce ecologically clean foodstuffs and use of modern technologies for waste recycling.

According to Arsen Gasparyan, the head of the initiative and the chairman of the public organization "Association of Young Biologists", the aim of the project is to promote agro-tourism and organic agriculture with the minimal use of synthetic fertilizers in Nagorno-Karabakh.

According to the authors of the idea, the project "Ecokhndzoristan" is ready, but they need to find a source of funding. Currently, the process is hampered by the fact that many potential international investors are reluctant to help because of the influence of the neighbouring Azerbaijan.

According to Gasparyan, to complete the project they need some 80-100 thousand US dollars. They hope to win a grant in the near future, and draft an application to the "Youth Foundation of Armenia". They also expect to attract money by addressing the Armenian Diaspora in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.