RESETTLEMENT FOR WELFARE OF KARABAKH
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
01 Oct 04
The process of resettlement in Nagorni Karabakh began after the
liberation of Shoushi. In the years 1994-2004 about 23 thousand people
settled in Artsakh, 150 settlements were restored, 120 of them having
been razed to the ground. The Agency for Migration, Refugees and
Resettlement under the NKR government, which formerly operated within
the Ministry of Social Security, started its activity since January 1
of 2003. We talked to the head of the agency Serge Amirkhanian on the
work done by the organization in the current year. ` Mr. Amirkhanian,
what work is done in the sphere of resettlement this year? ` First I
want to tell you that in the months January – August of 2004 we
admitted623 resettlers (120 families). In fact, this number surpassed
the number of resettlers in Karabakh during 12 months of the previous
year. We are guided by the program confirmed by the NKR government for
2001-2010 according to which wemust try to increase the number of
resettlers up to 68 thousand, including in all the regions of NKR, and
especially the northeast area. On the basis of the number of settlers
arrived since the first year of resettlement up today we may hope that
in the framework of the ten-year program the number of resettlers will
grow up to 68 thousand. – It is not easy to implement a program on
state means only. The program will cost 110 million dollars. Whereas,
annually 440 million drams is provided from the state budget. If rely
upon the budget only, the ten-year program will last perhaps for
110-120 years. That is to say, the strategic value of the program will
be lost. We often state that in the social-economic sphere of Karabakh
a population of 300 thousand will act asa trump card. We must get the
international community to recognize that the half million Armenian
population resettled from Azerbaijan in fact exists. It is also a fact
that the return of the refugees to Azerbaijan is absurd and
illogical. `Besides the NKR state bodies you also work with the
organizations of the Diaspora. Who are your sponsors? – In the past
two years we tried to involve in the humanitarian programs schools,
surgeries, water pipelines, electrification.In 2003 5-6 schools, 1-2
water pipelines were constructed in the framework of these
programs. This year two schools were built in Maragha and Nor
Getashen, 1 pipeline and 1 surgery in Hovtashen. We work with 7-8
organizations of the Diaspora (among them public, political
organizations, national governments, diocese), and we try to find new
sponsors. Also, on charity means provided by Karapet Harutiunian and
the foundation `Toufenkian’ the villages Knaravan and Arajamough were
restored. We have contracts for the implementation of which we need
the approval of the corresponding ministry, the regional
administrations must provide land, permit for building is needed,
seismic security must be considered. In the 13th year of building our
statehood we must do everything within the law. – Mr. Amirkhanian,
both the local and Armenian mass media write about the non-prospective
policy of resettlement implemented in Shoushi. What is your opinion? –
The April 15, 2003 decision of the government maintainedthe list of
the villages to be included in the program of resettlement. It mainly
involves the border areas, and Shoushi is not, being one of the
central towns of Artsakh. That is to say, the inhabitants of the town
do not enjoy privileges maintained for them (house, privileged loan,
etc.). Recently Shoushi has also been involved among the resettled
areas and the resettlers are granted privileges as well. Our agency
turned to the government with the suggestion of restoring and settling
the block houses of Shoushi. The problem of Shoushi remains. It is
necessary to solve unemployment, develop small and medium-size
enterprises, grant privileged loans there. In 2001 the government of
NKR adopted the ten-year development program for Shoushi and the
region of Shoushi, which includes the problems of resettlement and
employment. The foundation `Shoushi’ was established: donations are
made for the town, whereas the program has a cultural-archaeological
direction. If the foundation was called architectural-archaeological,
this would be something else, but it turns out that the foundation has
expectations on the part of the all Armenians of the world in
reference to restoration and resettlement of Shoushi. The work they do
does not correspond to their statements. I think public organizations
should also come out of the shade, maintain transparency of the work
done and to be done. Besides, the government adopted a decision
according to which any humanitarian aid should pass through the
Ministry of Finance and the aim and order of expenditure shouldbe
published. The foundation `Shoushi’ also must keep to this
principle. – One of the functions of the agency is the problem of the
refugees. What steps are undertaken to solve the problems of refugees?
– After the establishment of the agency we presented the NKR law `On
refugees’ which was passed by the NKR National Assembly. At the
upcoming meetings we will set forth the question of solving the
problem of housing of the refugees who moved from Azerbaijan in
1988-1992. We are also working on the projects of maintaining
privileges. By the way, the privileges maintained for the resettlers
must be for the refugees as well. Otherwise it will be an unfair
step: in 1988-1992 the refugees moved to Karabakh, fought and died for
its independence, whereas now they live in hired flats in hard social
conditions. In fact, since the Artsakh movement the refugees were
always the losing side, whereas we do not think about them. In the
upcoming two years we must try to solve their social and housing
problems. Presently the refugees are mostly from Armenia, the towns
Hrazdan, Yerevan, Stepanavan, Charentsavan, Abovian, Armavir, Masis
and Gegharkunik, Russia, Turkmenia and Uzbekistan. In Stepanakert we
have a department which deals with internal migration, involving
people from the capital and densely populated areas who do not have
houses and would like to settle down in villages, and start farming.
There are people, mainly specialists who went to live in villages. We
help them, provide them with houses and grant privileges to them.
NVARD OHANJANIAN.
01-10-2004