Artsakh Government Holds First Meeting Under President Araik Harutyunyan

On August 3, under the leadership of President Araik Harutyunyan, the Artsakh government held its inaugural meeting. The agenda included a discussion on amendments to the law on the State Budget of the Republic of Artsakh for 2020, presented by Finance Minister Vahram Baghdasaryan.

Baghdasaryan noted that the draft was developed in accordance with several provisions of the President's program for 2020-2025, which is aimed at increasing state budget expenditures by 14.810 billion drams, while revenues are expected to rise by 5.100 billion drams, attributed to the amount of budgetary loan received from the Republic of Armenia.

As a result of these changes, the state budget for Artsakh for 2020, following the President's directive, is set to comprise 126 billion 49 million 399.2 thousand drams in revenues and 135 billion 650 million 717.7 thousand drams in expenditures. The deficit will amount to 9 billion 601 million 318.5 thousand drams, which will be financed through borrowed funds.

The government approved the draft law, which, in accordance with procedural rules, will be sent to the National Assembly for discussion.

Following this, President Harutyunyan presented the proposed reforms by sector. He stated, “The implementation of large infrastructure projects will allow us to mitigate the potential negative impacts of the global economic downturn on our republic,” adding that should current programs be successfully implemented, a double-digit economic growth is expected next year.

While discussing the effective implementation of the projects outlined in the meeting, the President emphasized the necessity of close cooperation with the state bodies of the Republic of Armenia, as well as the conscientious attitude of officials at every level of state governance, discipline, equality before the law, and the maintenance of a harmonious atmosphere in work collectives.

Simultaneously, the country's leader warned that any state officials whose work and behavior contradict these principles would be dismissed from their positions.

The President also highlighted the importance of maintaining the atmosphere of internal stability in the republic, which will allow for addressing the two most crucial challenges faced by Artsakh: ensuring security and socio-economic development. In this context, he called on opposition forces to engage solely in constructive criticism and to refrain from actions that could undermine the established stability.