VIDEO: There is great panic that they want to empty Vardenis, says Vardenis resident

There is great panic among the entire community that they want to empty Vardenis. This was stated by one of the residents participating in a protest in Vardenis during a conversation with reporters.

“If there is no such thing, let them publicly come out and calm the people. Whatever they have taken from Vardenis — the morgue, the sanitary station — let them bring it back; now they even want to take the passport office. Whatever is there, let it stay in place, and if they want to return the area. If not, then they definitely want to implement that plan. People are in a panic, but they are just sitting there calmly. Either their safety is not working well, or the opposite — it is working well, but they don’t care. We don’t want to politicize this issue; we have come to present our demands. What is Nikol doing? We voted for him to get rid of those people, and now what is he doing? Is he emptying Vardenis? Villages are already being emptied; I can show 50 closed doors in every village,” said one of the residents of Vardenis.

It should be noted that in the morning, residents of Vardenis and nearby villages closed the main road leading to the city. They are protesting against the decision to close the passport and visa department office in Vardenis.

It is mentioned that the passport services in the Vardenis and Chambarak communities of the Gegharkunik region will be closed. All passport services in the Gegharkunik region are to be merged with the passport service of the Martuni community. As a result of the changes, the department will be named the Migration and Civil Service of Martuni.

The Migration and Citizenship Department clarified that in the migration sector, deep reforms have been initiated.

In this regard, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated, “When the Mecry Court was being optimized, it gave rise to political speculation, and now some of our colleagues are doing the same regarding Vardenis. I want everyone to see this map. Vayk, Ararat, Nor Hachn, meaning we have optimization in the Syunik, Vayots Dzor, Gegharkunik regions, practically everywhere, including in Yerevan, and as I said in the Ministry of Justice regarding the case of the court, we cannot allow the processes of our reforms to be halted due to these speculations.”

Details are in the video.