President of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Arayik Harutyunyan today attended the regular session of the National Assembly during which the bill on the 2022 State Budget of Artsakh was considered in the second reading.
In his concluding speech, President Harutyunyan touched upon the activities carried out in 2021, noting that the relative stability that is being maintained through the Defense Army and the Russian peacekeeping contingent has provided the opportunity to solve a number of vital issues and launch projects that will help ensure progress.
Harutyunyan also talked about the mid-term expenditure programs for 2022-2025 and stated that the key issue of Artsakh has been and remains demography, adding that improvement of the demographic situation will be the aim of all the programs to be implemented in the coming years. The head of state also touched upon the launched and future housing projects and added that his ‘apartment for each family’ program is still in effect.
The President of Artsakh also talked about foreign policy and security issues. “I believe the presence of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Artsakh needs to be guaranteed and termless until there is no longer a need for its presence, and the need and opinions of the people of Artsakh need to be key factors since we the people of Artsakh are the main beneficiaries of the peacekeeping mission,” Harutyunyan said, noting that the consistent capacity-building and strengthening of the Defense Army, police and the National Security Service are another major direction on the path to ensuring proper security.
The head of state said Artsakh will continue the struggle for unconditional recognition of the exercise of the right of the people to self-determination and the return of the seized territories. “We support a peaceful settlement of the conflict where our major and unwavering goal is to achieve international recognition of Artsakh’s independence based on the right to self-determination, and this will pave the way for implementation of the ultimate goal of the Artsakh movement,” he said.
The law on the 2022 State Budget was adopted with 18 votes ‘in favor’ and 11 votes ‘against’.