Armenian government donates land to mining firm for housing project

The Armenian government has approved the transfer of 0.37 hectares of community-owned land in the town of Ararat to ML Mining, a private company that has pledged to invest in housing and public infrastructure.

At a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Minister Davit Khudatyan said that the two parcels — one measuring 0.26 hectares with a cadastral value of 4.8 million drams and another 0.11 hectares valued at 2 million drams — will be donated to the company. In return, ML Mining will construct two multi-apartment buildings and provide 48 units to the municipality, which will allocate them to residents who previously held housing orders in unfinished Soviet-era structures.

Khudatyan noted that the company has committed to invest 3 billion drams over five years, complete the long-abandoned buildings and build additional facilities including a library and kindergarten.

Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan, who chaired the cabinet meeting, said the initiative reflects growing construction activity in regional centers, supported by income tax incentives outside the capital. “This cooperation is probably a good example for the Urban Development Committee,” he added.