Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan minced no words today that his administration would not tolerate any illegal construction in the Armenian capital.

“If we spot an illegal construction, and there are no documents, work must immediately cease, without negotiation, pleading or the meddling of acquaintances. Anyone who tells you that he’ll phone the mayor of the chief architect….there is nothing of the sort,” Marutyan told the staff of the of the Yerevan Municipality’s Department of Construction and Land Supervision.

Marutyan, flanked by newly appointed Yerevan Chief Architect Artur Meschyan, told staffers to be fearless in their pursuit of the law, promising them that he and Meschyan backed them fully.

The mayor also announced that the process to file and receive construction work permits will be streamlined.

“We are building a normal city, forming a normal society and state. Our city’s development and construction must be above board and legal. At the same time, we can inform people that we will greatly simplify the legal building process,” Marutyan said.