With the mediation and participation of the command of the Russian peacekeeping troops deployed in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), a regular meeting of the official representatives of Artsakh and Azerbaijan was held today. According to the spokesperson of the Artsakh’s President, the issues related to uninterrupted movement through the Lachin Corridor, the restoration of electricity supply from Armenia to Artsakh, the uninterrupted supply of natural gas and the activities of the Kashen mine were discussed. At the Government session, the Artsakh President announced that Stepanakert supports direct contacts with Baku, but despite the pressures, there will be no step back from the path of independence.
Arayik Harutyunyan (President of Artsakh) - I want to declare with all responsibility that any integration process with Azerbaijan is excluded. However, this does not mean that we will avoid contacts to solve problems of an infrastructural and humanitarian nature.
PRESIDENT OF ARTSAKH PRESENTED NEWLY APPOINTED STATE MINISTER
The President of Artsakh introduced the newly appointed Minister of State Gurgen Nersisyan at the Government meeting. According to Arayik Harutyunyan, in this difficult period for Artsakh, instead of congratulating him, we should only wish him success.
Arayik Harutyunyan - The Minister of State will have a wide range of powers, all ministries will operate under his coordination, except for the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense and Internal Affairs, he will have the freedom to develop and manage the personnel policy in the spheres of his coordination. The chairmanship of the board of trustees of the Artsakh investment and village and agriculture support funds will also be transferred to Gurgen Nersisyan.
Despite the freedom to develop and conduct personnel policy, Gurgen Nersisyan is ready to work with all those figures who will unite and not succumb to the difficulties faced by the country and the Government.
Gurgen Nersisyan (State Minister of Artsakh) - For me, my team, someone else's team - these ideas do not exist now. This is more specific to classical political processes, and now we do not have the right to afford this opportunity and luxury.
Arayik Harutyunyan instructed the newly appointed State Minister to develop and present a package of new social programs aimed at mitigating the socio-economic consequences of the blockade, increasing the level of self-sufficiency of the economy, paying primary attention to food production.
