INITIATIVE AND RESPONSIBILITY

NKR Government Information and
Public Relations Department
February 20, 2009

Today, the NKR Prime Minister Ara Haroutyunyan partook in the annual
community meetings with the inhabitants of villages Nakhijevanik
and Vardadzor of Askeran region and summarized the work of community
administrations in 2008. Almost the same problems were discussed in
the neighbouring populated areas, which were conquered and ruined
by the enemy during the Artsakh war. During the past 10-15 years,
Nakhijevanik and Vardadzor were considerably restored, however the
housing problem, which was raised by many inhabitants in both villages,
remains an urgent one. And this is in case when against the background
of general state of construction works carried out in Artsakh to a
considerable degree continue to be implemented in this area. In 2008,
only in Nakhijevanik dozens of houses were built at the expense of both
state and non-governmental organizational means. The two populated
areas will be soon fully gasificated, those engaged in agriculture
will get an opportunity to make use of a new irrigating system, which
will be put into operation with the state support. But the problem
of drinking water again arose before the villagers, though a year ago
a new water-pipe was operated, and this state project of hundreds of
millions should have provided the inhabitants with twenty-four-hour
water supply. Today, the water supply has been interrupted because
shortly after that water sources were sharply reduced. Touching upon
the problem, the Prime Minister A.Haroutyunyan informed that with
state support a new variety of water supply system will be operated
in future, there will be excess water supplies as well which will be
directed to the irrigating system.

The NKR Prime Minister expressed his anxiety towards the fact that
rural inhabitants do not use the favourable conditions of the area
properly, do not fully cultivate the fertile lands and are not properly
engaged in cattle-breeding. From this perspective a comparably safe
state is dominating in Vardadzor, this village of expanded arable
lands is one of the single communities of Artsakh which operates
without state grant and procures the village requirements at its own
expense. The internal power here is greater and the Prime Minister
instructed the community to more actively settle down to agricultural
activities making use of the wide state support.

A.Haroutyunyan emphasized that much work is needed for the community’s
prosperity, being satisfied with small results cannot secure a rapid
progress in the communities. He recommended the villagers besides
grain production to engage in maize cultivation and gardening as well,
which are quite profitable and have no difficulties of realization.

Both in Nakhijevanik and in Vardadzor people expressed their wish of
seeing their clubs restored, having a properly furnished school and
normally operating telephone communication. As a desire of decades the
reconstruction of the roads to the villages was presented. The Prime
Minister A.Haroutyunyan clarified what a distinction of rural problem
settlement is necessary between state and community. The Prime Minister
reported that part of issues can be settled by community efforts,
only initiative and responsibility are needed, it is necessary to
start the work and the state will certainly provide its assistance
and will have its part of contribution. A.Haroutyunyan suggested
this reconstructive plan for the restoration of the ruined club of
Nakhijevanik and an arrangement in this connection was made with the
community administration of Nakhjevanik.

The head of the NKR Government responded to a number of questions
troubling the inhabitants, promised the Government’s and his direct
assistance.