Historical record: Nagorno-Karabakh state budget in 2021 grew by 48 percent, says Pashinyan
YEREVAN, May 31. /ARKA/. Nagorno-Karabakh's state budget in 2021 was up 48% or 45 billion drams from the 2020 budget, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said today when speaking at a discussion on the execution of the 2021 budget organized by the parliamentary committees.
Pashinyan recalled that in 2019, Artsakh's budget was 117.9 billion drams, of which 57.8 billion drams were provided by Armenia.
"In 2021, the Nagorno-Karabakh's budget grew to 174 billion drams, of which 128 billion drams were provided by Armenia. Nagorno-Karabakh has never had a bigger budget and Armenia has never provided more assistance to it. Armenia's assistance in 2021 grew by 122% or AMD 70 billion, and the total budget of Nagorno-Karabakh grew by 48% or AMD 45 billion," he said.
The PM noted that 73% of Nagorno-Karabakh's 2021 state budget were provided by the Armenian government.
He reminded that AMD 144bln will be allocated to Nagorno-Karabakh from the Armenian state budget in 2022. "Thanks to our assistance pensions and benefits in Artsakh have increased by 20% in 2022," he underscored.
According to him, AMD 120bln were allocated from Armenia's state budget in 2021 for a variety of programs designed to support Nagorno-Karabakh residents.
"In 2021 the utility bills of Nagorno-Karabakh population were paid by the Armenian government," he said.
Pashinyan stressed also that Armenia also paid the healthcare costs and salaries of public sector employees -from Artsakh MPs to school teachers.
On September 27, 2020, Azerbaijani armed forces, backed by Turkey and foreign mercenaries and terrorists, attacked Nagorno-Karabakh along the entire front line using rocket and artillery weapons, heavy armored vehicles, military aircraft and prohibited types of weapons such as cluster bombs and phosphorus weapons.
After 44 days of the war, on November 9, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a statement on the cessation of all hostilities. According to the document, the town of Shushi, the districts of Agdam, Kelbajar and Lachin were handed over to Azerbaijan, with the exception of a 5-kilometer corridor connecting Karabakh with Armenia.
A Russian peacekeeping contingent was deployed along the contact line in Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor.
According to the latest data, 3,825 residents of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh were killed in the 44-day war in the conflict zone in 2020 autumn.-0-