What Kind of Blackmail Are the Residents of Vardenut Resorting To? Statement from the Company Creating the Eco-Village

The residents of Vardenut village in the enlarged community of Aparan in the Aragatsotn region regularly block the Yerevan-Vanadzor highway, attempting to obtain additional benefits through dishonest means, using the language of blackmail. This was stated in a press release by ‘RID’ LLC.

“They claim that the state wants to expropriate their agricultural land at prices lower than the market rate, recognizing a public overriding interest. Last year, the Government approved the project, and for its implementation, it agreed to alienate the land parcels directly to ‘RID’ LLC,” it reads.

The project involves the establishment of a new eco-agricultural village on an area of 4,400 hectares, which will include 300 mini-farms and accompanying guesthouses. A reservoir with a capacity of 3 million cubic meters is also planned for construction to ensure water access for the complex. Additionally, according to the project, a ski resort will be built with 5 cable car lines and approximately 50 kilometers of slopes, along with hotels and their infrastructure.

The statement presents the accusations directed at ‘RID’ LLC, along with misunderstandings, providing our clarifications. Residents of Vardenut village want the prices for land compensation to be increased. The prices of the recognized superior benefit land parcels were determined according to the appraisal reports submitted by a licensed appraiser. The official information received from the Cadastre Committee regarding transactions carried out in recent years served as the basis for these reports.

If the community residents disagree with the land valuation, why do they not invite another licensed appraiser? The reality is that the assessments would be the same since they are conducted based on the same criteria. Therefore, it is evident that there is an attempt to extort unreasonable amounts of money and illegally enrich themselves.

The villagers claim that all parcels are arable lands. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, all parcels were distributed to residents free of charge. Nearly all of them are pasture lands, and for the past 30 years, the property tax has been paid by residents as non-irrigable lands, according to official information.

What kind of blackmail and fraud are the residents of Vardenut resorting to? The whole village is threatened by a group of people attempting to enrich themselves at all costs, and even those residents who want to sign sale contracts are left waiting. At the same time, this group is trying to obstruct the implementation of the project in various ways. Despite these obstacles, over 30 sale transactions have already been completed.

What is the role of the Mayor of Aparan, Karen Yeghiazaryan? Despite the mayor’s claims that he operates in the interests of the community, our multiple requests, as per the points established by the Government of the Republic of Armenia, have remained unanswered and unaddressed.

Why are the villagers not considering the exchange of land parcels located elsewhere? During meetings, we have repeatedly offered options for exchanging for other parcels, which residents have rejected, probably hoping to sell their parcels at higher prices.

What impact will this have on the region and the village? The project being implemented will primarily bring significant economic growth not only to Vardenut and Aragats villages but also to the entire region. Regarding the development of Vardenut village, more than 100 mini-farms planned in the project will employ local residents, hosting tourists. New jobs will be created in modern specialties, allowing community residents, especially the youth, to stay in their homeland.