On August 22, 2025, in three settlements of Vayq Community of Vayots Dzor Region — Vayq, Azatek, and Zaritap — public hearings initiated by “Precious Core” LLC were held. The company intends to carry out geological exploration in the territory of Vayq community for the purpose of mineral extraction.
The hearings started in Azatek settlement. A representative of “Precious Core” LLC stated that the company intends to carry out reassessment works: “Our goal is to understand how much ore exists. Our company will always be by the community’s side, we will regularly implement social programs, and in addition to the obligations stipulated by the contract, we will also carry out other programs,” he noted.
The company’s geologist presented the planned program: “The Azatek gold deposit has been studied at different times. As a result of prospecting, a report will be drawn up. Studies will be carried out in an area of 309 hectares of the deposit. Roads will be opened for drilling, as well as drilling sites will be built. Drilling will be carried out at depths of 45–510 meters, with a total volume of 16,000 linear meters of work. Sampling will be performed, and the optimal scheme of ore processing will be determined. As a result, a report will be drawn up and sent to the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures for reserve approval.”
A resident asked: “If it turns out that there are toxic substances, will you exploit [the mine]?”
The company responded: “We are not the ones deciding whether to exploit or not. We present; the state decides.”
Human rights defender Oleg Dulgaryan, President of “Center for Community Consolidation and Support” NGO, asked about the presence of uranium reserves in the requested area, citing the works by Petros Aloyan.
The company’s representative responded that during laboratory sampling it is revealed what exists in the mass and in what concentration.
Oleg Dulgaryan also raised the issue of social programs, emphasizing the need to calculate the economic benefit–damage ratio resulting from the company’s activities.
After Dulgaryan’s questions, an argument broke out among residents attending the hearing. After it was settled, local residents began to discuss with the company the issues of necessary social programs in their settlement.
After Azatek, the next hearing was held in Vayq municipality. Company representatives again spoke about implementing social programs and the prospect of job creation. The company’s geologist presented the history of the mine, explaining in which years what works had been carried out there.
Another resident voiced concern about the frequent cases of early death in Vayots Dzor: “In Vayq city the biggest loss is stroke and heart attack in people at the age of 40. As if they haven’t destroyed enough, now you again want to get a permit to open a mine. There are hardly any people left in Vayq city.”
In response, the company’s representative said: “And what would be so bad if jobs were created?” But the resident replied: “We don’t need jobs, people are dying. Here only old people remain, and they are passing away one after another. The young saw that people are dying of heart attacks and all left. Jobs are not the reason, you want to convince us with jobs. We don’t need jobs anymore, we need nature, clean air.”
The third hearing was held in Zaritap settlement and lasted only ten minutes. The company’s representatives presented the same information as in the previous two hearings.
The attendees asked how many years the program would last, to which the representative of “Precious Core” LLC responded that this will be clear only after the reserves are approved.
Residents also raised the issue of land restoration after the completion of the program. The company said that reclamation programs will be implemented.
August 25, 2025 at 15:54