By Azatouhie Khachatryan

Residents of Tchambarak and nearby villages in the Armenian province of Gegharkounik demonstrated outside the Ashtarak Milk factory today, demanding the company pay them for the milk they’ve provided.

Ashtarak Milk hasn’t paid the villagers for several months. The company also hasn’t paid its plant workers since April.

In all, the dairy company owes 70 million AMD ($146,000) to its suppliers and employees.

Tchambarak Mayor Yura Avalyan joined the protesters, accusing the company of reneging on its agreements with local villagers.

“People are in a very serious financial situation. They supplied Ashtarak Milk during the peak season, hoping to get paid. They took out loans and remain under the burden of debt,” Avalyan said, adding that if the company can’t pay villagers in cash, the least it could do was hand over the cheese stockpiles to them to sell.

Lyova Sargsyan, head of the Ashtarak Milk branch in Tchambarak, requested another day in order to confer with company director Ashot Apoyan regarding the villagers’ demands.

“Everything will be clarified tomorrow,” Apoyan said.