RESETTLEMENT AS TRUE GUARANTEE OF REBUILDING THE MOTHERLAND

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
22-03-2004

“The settlement of Nagorni Karabakh territories of strategic
importance is a national problem therefore the world-spread Armenians
are interested in the regulation of the problem,” said the chairman of
the public organization “The Promised Land” Vahram Gevorgian. Since
2003 the organization has directed its activities towards the
implementation of the settlement of Artsakh. In 2003with the
assistance of Armenian benefactors from America the school building
was built and furnished in the historical village Tsar 20 km from the
region Karvachar (now Shahoumian). The school of Tsar started
operating from October 23, 2003. Presently nine families live in the
village. “The construction of the school means the revival of the
village. The building of the school was necessary as many families
refused to settle here for the absence of school. I hope after the
opening of the school the flow of settlers will grow,” mentioned V!
ahram Gevorgian. In historical Tsar there were three churches. One of
them was ruined by the Azerbaijanis, and the stones were used to build
an Azerbaijani school. The other two churches were turned into
cattle-sheds. “The PromisedLand” intends to reconstruct the churches
and found a scientific research center in the Azerbaijani school built
on the Armenian khachcars. A film about Tsar was shot which was shown
in a number of foreign countries, an as a result the funding of school
building. In the military village Araler the school building was ready
on September 8, 2003 but it was opened later, on March 1, 2004. The
school was built and furnished again by foreign benefactors. The
school has27 pupils. Before the children of the officers had to go to
school in the village Arakel of Hadrout region situated 15 km
far. Presently a small hospital is being built in Araler, which will
be for both the soldiers settling the village and the other
settlers. In the! village Knaravan of the region Shahoumian it is
planned to bu! ild a school, the village administration building, a
club and a surgery in 2004. Twelve housed have been built in Knaravan,
this year this number will grow. The nursery school was built in
Yeghegnut, which will start operating in one or two months. “There is
a big project for the resettlement of the village of Arevshat. For six
years already the settlers have been living in hard social
conditions. In 2004 it is planned to build the building of the village
administration, a surgery, 8 houses,” mentioned V. Gevorgian adding
many new settlers left the village because of the indifference of
competent bodies. Unfortunately, the same situation was in
Tsamdzor. The settlement of the village was carried out by the public
organization “France-Karabakh” and because of the indifference of the
competent body emigration started from this strategic
settlement. According to V. Gevorgian, to stop the emigration from the
village there is a project to repair th! e school building, etc. “We
have also a program of economic development for the mentioned
settlements. Settlement does not only mean building. First of all the
social problems of the settlers should be solved: the problem of work
and employment, etc. According to the agreement with benefactors, a
sheep-breeding center will be opened in the village, we have farming
projects, etc.,” mentioned the head of the organization, and added
that in some villages cultural projects will be brought into being as
well. In the village Ijevanatun the “Old Inn” used to operate before
providing the trade with Iran. The building was passed to the
organization for ten years, and it is planned to open a center of
historical and cultural research on the liberation territories. “We
have the plan of repairing the school building of the village
Arakel. The school was built by the organization “France-Karabakh” in
1994. In 2004 we ! must implement the construction of the nursery
schoolin Talis! h and the settlement of the village Akn,” said the
head of the organization “The Promised Land” Vahan Gevorgian.

NVARD OHANJANIAN.
22-03-2004