Video: 30,000 Artsakh Residents in Armenia, Fortunately, Few Have Left the RA Territory - President of Artsakh

A meeting was held under the leadership of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Artsakh President Araik Harutyunyan, with the participation of the heads of responsible departments of the RA Government.

In his speech, Prime Minister Pashinyan stated: "Honorable President of the Republic of Artsakh, dear colleagues, we have gathered today to discuss our agenda in the socio-economic sector, the issues of cooperation, as well as the progress and future of the programs that we are currently implementing in conjunction with the Artsakh government. I would like to remind you that one of the most important points of the 'roadmap' I published on November 18 is the restoration of normal life in Artsakh. It should be noted that we currently have quite tangible results, but of course, the scale of work is very large, and it is important that we express our political determination and commitment to fully implement this work and discuss not only the restoration of normal life in Artsakh but also its further development by implementing specific programs in that direction. Discussions have not ceased at various levels during this time; joint decisions have been made, and today we will summarize the results of the discussions held so far and reach certain agreements on further actions.

In turn, President of Artsakh Araik Harutyunyan stated: "I would like to welcome and thank you, Mr. Prime Minister, for initiating this meeting. I also want to thank the Government of the Republic of Armenia for the social programs implemented during the post-war period. The results are tangible in the sense that the majority of the population, about 120,000 citizens of the Republic of Artsakh, are currently living in Artsakh, and it seems that we have managed to provide everything necessary for normal life.

We have up to 30,000 residents who are in the Republic of Armenia, and fortunately, a very small number have left the territory of the Republic of Armenia. However, I want to reflect on the 1990s because after the war, having liberated the Martakert region, we failed to return the majority of the Martakert region's residents to Artsakh due to delays. Our main problem at this stage is housing construction; I believe that in terms of social payments, the issue is still solved for a few more months, and no family in Artsakh will face a bread problem, as benefits and one-time funds provided are temporarily sufficient. But we have a lot to do regarding the construction and provision of housing, as well as ensuring jobs and income.

I consider housing construction to be our primary issue, and according to our plans, at least 5,000 to 5,500 apartments must be constructed within the next 2.5 to 3 years. The second important issue is compensation for damages, as many of our compatriots have suffered great losses, for which we also need to make decisions together.