Ambassador of France to Armenia Olivier Decottignies and deputies of the National Assembly visited the Sotk gold mining site in Armenia. During the visit, they familiarized themselves with the current operations at the site and discussed security issues in the region.
In a publication on the pages of the European Union mission in Armenia on social networks, it is noted:"We were glad to host the Ambassador of France to Armenia Olivier Decottignies in Martuni. We shared insights on our activities in the area and the security developments in the Sotk gold mine."
BMG reminds that the Sotk gold-bearing mine, located on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, has periodically ceased operation since 2023 due to shelling in the area.
In May of last year, the Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia, Ovannes Arutyunyan, announced the imminent cessation of operations at the open-pit mine in Sotk, attributing it to resource depletion.
The mining company GeoProMining announced an official decision to suspend mining at the open-pit mine in Sotk due to shelling.
Subsequently, plans were announced to resume gold mining at the Sotk deposit using underground methods starting from March 2024.
The Sotk gold-bearing mine is the largest deposit of pure gold reserves in Armenia. Explored reserves of pure gold at the deposit are estimated at 130 tons.
