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Armenia’s Ministry of Environment has denied any cooperation with Azerbaijan on transboundary water management claimed by a U.S. diplomat.

In a social media post earlier in November, U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mark Libby said a group of hydrologists and engineers from Azerbaijan and Armenia "are working together – with our active support – on an integrated water management scheme for trans-boundary rivers.”

Panorama.am reached out to the Armenian government, as well as the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Environment, for comment on the statement.

They were asked to say which rivers the U.S. envoy’s statement referred to, why was it necessary and whether such water management schemes were worked out for the rivers crossing the borders of Georgia, Turkey and Iran.

In response to Panorama’s query, the Ministry of Environment said. “In connection with the statement of the U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan about a group of hydrologists and engineers from Azerbaijan and Armenia working together, with the active U.S. support, on an integrated water management scheme for transboundary rivers, we would like to tell you that no work on transboundary cooperation is being carried out as part of the USAID-funded Armenia Improved Water Management Program."

“Within the framework of the program, a management plan for the Southern Basin District for 2025-2030 and a tool for estimating river loads are being worked out.

“Two hydrological observation points on Akhuryan River are in the process of refurbishment, and the Araks-Surmalu hydrological observation point is also planned to be modernized,” the ministry added.

Earlier, the Armenian Foreign Ministry denied official cooperation between Armenia and Azerbaijan on transboundary water resources management.

It remains unclear why the U.S. ambassador would make such a statement.