Citizens of Vayk have gathered near Vayk Municipality and are holding a petition against the exploitation of mines in Vayk and any discussion on exploitation. They are particularly petitioning against the exploitation of the Azatek gold mine, which is very close to Vayk.

Vayk Municipality was going to host Vayk Gold LLC’s public deliberation about the application for a preliminary environmental impact assessment of the plan for open-underground, combined processing of the Azatek gold-multi metal mine in the administrative territories of Vayk and Zaritap communities. However, the residents of Vayk had gathered near Vayk Municipality and weren’t letting representatives of Vayk Gold LLC enter the building.

During the meeting with representatives of the company, citizens of Vayk stated that they don’t want to see people die because of the exploitation of the mines.

The representatives of the company said the plan has to be submitted to the government for expert examination.

The citizens said nobody in Vayk supports the exploitation of the mine in Vayk or Azatek and had even held signs reading “We are the gold of Vayk” and “We won’t let you put our health at risk”.

Vayk Gold LLC was founded by former Minister of Nature Protection, former MP of the Republican Party of Armenia Vardan Ayvazyan, but Vayk Gold LLC had a new shareholder in July of this year, and this time, 80% of the shares has been transferred to Goldfields Holding in London.