Residents of Tabatskuri village in the predominantly-Armenian-populated Samtskhe-Javakheti Province of Georgia are waiting that on October 5, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection will give them permission to catch fish in the village lake.

The villagers told Armenian News-NEWS.am that even though this authorization was to be issued on Thursday, it was delayed for several days because the minister is abroad.

To note, the Georgian government had granted solely to the company belonging to ruling Republican Party of Armenia MP Vardan Ayvazyan a twenty-year permit to make use of this lake.

The Georgian law-enforcement bodies prohibit the villagers from fishing in the lake.

On August 10, a clash had even occurred between the villagers, the police, and the ministry staff.

Ayvazyan, on the other hand, denied the reports that the villagers are prohibited to fish in the lake.