YEREVAN. – Hraparak daily of Armenia writes: After the well-known incidents [when the Azerbaijani solders had entered the area], the employees—more than 800 people—of Sotk gold mine of Vardenis do not go to work.
The Armenia management of the factory has urged the workers not to come to work due to safety reasons. They have said that they are holding talks with the Azerbaijanis in order to determine how they should organize further work [there].
According to the official interpretation, Sotk gold mine passes half to the Armenian side, half to the Azerbaijani side, whereas the employees were told that the proportion is 30/70: 30 percent—Armenian, the rest—under Azerbaijani control; and this is why the Azerbaijanis have urged [the Armenians] to take out the equipment.
If the talks do not yield results, more than 25 [Armenian] communities will find themselves in a difficult situation; the residents of the town of Vardenis and 24 surrounding communities were working in the mine.
