The Sotsk gold mine with explored gold reserves of about 130 tons, which is being developed by the Russian company GeoProMining, turned out to be divided into two parts by the state border of Armenia with the Kelbajar region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which came under the control of Azerbaijan, said Tiran Khachatryan, First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces. >
According to him, GeoProMining took preliminary measures to ensure safety, a checkpoint was placed on the road. The soldier noted that the Azerbaijanis were warned that this is a Russian facility.
On the eve of November 26, a video appeared on the network in which dozens of Azerbaijani soldiers drive up and then enter the territory of a gold mine in Armenia. The Ministry of Defense of Armenia first stated that such reports did not correspond to reality, and then wrote about the ongoing demarcation of the border between Armenia and the Kelbajar region of Nagorno-Karabakh taken under the control of Azerbaijan.
The head of the Sotk settlement Hakob Avetyan said that Azerbaijani soldiers are currently located in the territory of the local gold mine.
“They came, took positions and demanded to free the territory. There were no shots, no attack. Negotiations are in progress. But the problem will not be resolved without Russian peacekeepers, ”he said in an interview with the Armenian portal aysor.am.
Avetyan also claimed that Sotk employees were leaving the territory.
Later, the head of the village community said that the field is currently being demarcated new borders of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Representatives of the Armenian Defense Ministry and the Azerbaijani military are working on the spot. Armenian units are taking up new positions, like Azerbaijani ones.
To clarify who still owns the mine, Tiran Khachatryan noted that part of it is located on the territory of Armenia, and part is where the tailing dump is located, on the territory of the lands returned to Azerbaijan.
“The issue of operating the mine will be decided by its owner. All questions of further operation will be decided by the Russian side, ”he said.
In the summer of 2020, Nakilep Overseas Ltd, owned by Roman Trotsenko, became the controlling shareholder of GeoProMining Investment Ltd. Nakilep Overseas acquired shares from Geiser Asset Holdings Ltd.
GeoProMining is an international diversified mining company specializing in the extraction and processing of gold, silver, antimony, copper in Russia and Armenia.
The GeoProMining Group of Companies in Armenia also owns the Agarak Copper-Molybdenum Combine.
