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The Armenian National Assembly rejected on Thursday an opposition proposal to dismiss Minister of Environment Erik Grigoryan.

The decision drafted by Bright Armenia faction sought to have the minister sacked by forwarding issue to the prime minister.

Ahead of the vote, the ruling My Step faction head Lilit Makunts stated there are no grounds to demand Erik Grigoryan's resignation.

“Thus, we will vote against it,” she said.

Prosperous Armenia MP Naira Zohrabyan unveiled the opposition faction’s intention to abstain from voting.

“At the initiative of Prosperous Armenia, an ad-hoc commission has already been set up to examine the issues related to the subsoil, environment and mining industry. Prosperous Armenia won’t take part in the vote at the moment,” she said.

Lawmakers voted 17 to 67 to reject the proposal. One MP abstained,

The vote came after Bright Armenia MP Mane Tandilyan criticized the government’s environmental policy at a parliament sitting on Wednesday.