VIDEO: Sotk Mine Partially Operates, Says Gegharkunik Governor

The Sotk mine is currently operating partially. This was announced by Gegharkunik Governor Karen Sargsyan during a briefing with journalists in the National Assembly.

He elaborated that the operations in the open sections of the mine were supposed to be halted in the coming months; however, due to safety issues, the cessation of work has been moved up, while activities continue in the closed mine. Thus, the mine is operating partially.

According to him, there are discussions about options to employ those who are left jobless due to the mine's closure.

In response to a question regarding whether the security situation has led to emigration from the region, Sargsyan stated that they have not conducted such monitoring but deemed it rather unlikely that people have left due to these issues. “We have families that left their residences after the September 2022 aggression, and some have not returned, but the majority have come back and are living in their homes,” he noted.

The governor also informed that the intensity of gunfire from the adversary in Gegharkunik has decreased. “The residents of the region are busy with agricultural work and are living their normal lives,” he said.