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Governor of Tavush Province Hayk Ghalumyan on Friday travelled to the border village of Kirants to meet with local residents protesting against the delimitation and demarcation which compels Armenia to cede four border areas to Azerbaijan.

Unlike several other Tavush border villages affected by the territorial concessions, Kirants would lose some of its houses and a bridge connecting it to the rest of Armenia apart from its agricultural lands.

Residents of Kirants again blocked the Armenia-Georgia interstate highway near the village in opposition to the land handover on Thursday after the statement on a border protocol signed by the Armenian and Azerbaijani deputy prime ministers which said Baku would gain control of the four border areas, including “the most sensitive Kirants section”.

Opposition MP Garnik Danielyan, who headed to Kirants to join the protest, told Panorama.am on Friday that the villagers were dissatisfied and discouraged following the meeting with the Tavush governor.

“People are dissatisfied. They have again been told that the village will be divided into two parts near the school and some houses will fall under Azerbaijan’s control. He promised compensation [for those losing their property], but people are upset and discouraged," Danielyan detailed.

The MP said the villagers had unblocked the interstate highway to decide on their further steps, adding the road could be closed off again.