On July 8, Armenia’s Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan will have a meeting with employees of the Alaverdi Copper Factory, as reported former employee of the factory Armen Kirakosyan, who said he and the employees had met with Governor of Lori Province Andrey Ghukasyan yesterday. The governor told them that the Deputy Prime Minister was going to come and hold a discussion with them.

Armenian News-NEWS.am also tried to contact Lusine Mejlumyan, director of ACP CJSC (the company exploiting Alaverdi Copper Factory), but the employee of the company informed that the director will soon issue a statement.

Employees of Alaverdi Copper Factory closed the Yerevan-Tbilisi railway and the entrances to and exits from the factory yesterday. The factory’s administration has laid off 200 employees, and they demand a meeting with government officials to either extend their contracts or offer alternatives.