Do Not Panic: Artsakh’s State Minister

The State Minister of the Republic of Artsakh, Gurgen Nersisyan, held a consultation on June 20 regarding ensuring food security and the functioning of the economy under current conditions. This was reported by the information and public relations department of the State Minister’s office.

The Minister of Agriculture, Georgi Hayriyan, presented the situation regarding domestic food production, the possibilities for meat production, the preparatory work for the autumn crop harvest, and the production volumes and related issues of spring crops and greenhouse farms. Several other officials also presented reports.

The State Minister, addressing the complete blockade of humanitarian cargo by Azerbaijan since June 15, particularly stated, "Although we have been under blockade since December 12, 2022, we have managed to improve our food security level somewhat during this period despite having very few opportunities. Therefore, we now have a greater degree of resilience. There is no need to panic; of course, we will feel a shortage in terms of some goods, as we already have issues with sugar and oil. We have provisions for critical moments, but we will not resort to using them now. We have a stable situation regarding flour and other essential goods."

Gurgen Nersisyan emphasized the importance of proper communication with the public, noting that food security is one of the main issues concerning society. However, on the other hand, it is impossible to speak about it completely transparently as it relates to security matters. The minister underscored that the currently extremely limited fuel reserves should be used strictly in necessary cases and economically. "For this purpose, we have reduced fuel use by the state system to almost zero; we will try to organize public transport work and agricultural activities. Fuel is mainly provided to individuals for health-related issues, with each individual case undergoing separate scrutiny," noted G. Nersisyan.

During the consultation, the issues of the current situation and their solutions were discussed. The State Minister gave several instructions to quickly develop and implement programs that will allow the completion of all internal resources, mobilize domestic production, and organize its equal distribution and realization.