Sotk Mine Workers, Over 800 People, Do Not Show Up for Work After Notable Incidents: 'Hraparak'

'Hraparak' newspaper reports that 'workers at the Sotk gold mine in Vardenis, over 800 people, are not going to work following recent notable incidents. The Armenian management of the factory has urged employees not to come to work due to safety concerns and stated that negotiations are ongoing with Azerbaijan to determine how to organize further work.

The Sotk gold mine is officially stated to be half under Armenian, half under Azerbaijani control. However, employees have been informed that this proportion is actually 30/70, with 30 percent being Armenian and the remaining under Azerbaijani control. For this reason, Azerbaijan has urged to remove the equipment from the site. If negotiations do not yield results, more than 25 communities will find themselves in a dire situation, as the mine employed residents from the city of Vardenis and 24 surrounding communities.'