Khnzoresk Residents No Longer Have the Opportunity for Seasonal Work in Their Own Fields: Will It Become Borderline or Not?

The Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia, David Khachatryan, announced at a press conference today that the communities of Khnzoresk and Karahunj in the Syunik province are likely to be included in the list of borderline settlements.

“39 settlements in Gegharkunik and Syunik provinces have been granted the status of borderline settlements, as the area from the border to the residential house has been accounted for. Khnzoresk and Karahunj were not included in the list since their area exceeded the criteria. However, we heard various feedback and realized that the lands of these villages are close to the border, thus we are currently discussing the inclusion of these villages in the list,” the Minister said.

The Ministry is also discussing the inclusion of the communities of Akner and Vernashen in the list. If approved, these communities will also receive social support from the government.

Responding to the question of recognizing the city of Kapan as a borderline settlement, the minister stated that only rural settlements have been included in the list, while Kapan is a city.

It is worth noting that by the decision of the Armenian government, a list of borderline communities receiving social support has been established, according to which 77 settlements will receive social assistance. The list does not include Khnzoresk and Karahunj, causing significant dissatisfaction. In particular, the mayor of Khnzoresk, Yervand Malunts, wrote that the government is unaware of the village's situation and does not know that Khnzoresk residents no longer have the opportunity to carry out seasonal work in their own fields.