ArmInfo.In mid-September 2019, High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs of Armenia Zareh Sinanyan intends to visit Sochi, where on the ground he will try to understand the situation around the Sochi airport and the reasons for the dismissal of employees with Armenian surnames.
As Sinanyan stated on August 15 in an interview with reporters, as of today the reasons for the dismissals and their possible relation to ethnicity are unclear to him. "There are various rumors and conjectures that can be refuted or found out only on the ground," he said. As Sinanyan assured, he will contact all competent persons who can at least somehow clarify the situation.
At the same time, Zareh Sinanyan denied rumors that the conflict could be due to tensions in the Armenian- Russian relations that arose after the visit of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs to the Russian Federation. "I do not see any particular tension in the Armenia-Russia relations," he noted. As ArmInfo wrote earlier, for several months now, a real ethnic cleansing among employees has been going on at Sochi Airport - according to various pretexts, employees with Armenian surnames have been dismissed from work. It was reported that it all started in 2018. The first was carried out in two services (Transportation Organization Service, Aviation Security Service). They used the method of intimidation and coercion, further, the rest who refused to quit themselves were trivially dismissed by changing the structure of the service, although the number and functionality did not change and the recruitment for work does not stop and continues to this day.
It should be noted that after a group of airport employees who were supposed to be relieved of work at the end of August made a special statement on this subject, numerous media outlets picked up the topic and it received widespread "outrage" not only in Sochi itself, but far beyond. As a result, the Sochi airport management abandoned further vicious practice of discrimination against Armenian employees. They were told that they would no longer be kicked out of work.
However, instead of an apology, the leadership of Sochi Airport yesterday decided to shift the responsibility for such behavior, and made its statement published in TASS. In it, the airport management considered itself insulted, speaking of its personnel policy as "complying with the norms and requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation".
The Armenian Embassy in Russia also issued a statement in connection with the situation around the Sochi airport. "The Armenian Embassy in the Russian Federation contacted different parties in connection with the situation around the Sochi airport to clarify information and obtain clarifications. Conversations were held with the relevant structures of Sochi, the airport management, citizens participating in the situation and representatives of the Armenian community. The Embassy received explanations from different sides, including groups of citizens, the local Armenian community and relevant structures. The above issue is in the focus of the embassy's attention, " the press service of the Armenian Embassy in Russia told ArmInfo.
ArmInfo.The Armenian Embassy in Russia made a statement in connection with the situation around the Sochi airport.