Ruben Vardanyan has either filed a criminal complaint or will do so, says Artsakh’s Prime Minister

Artsakh’s Prime Minister Gurgen Nersisyan wrote on his Facebook page: “I BELIEVE THAT RUBEN VARDANYAN HAS EITHER FILED A CRIMINAL COMPLAINT OR WILL FILE ONE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.”

Recently, during a discussion regarding the situation surrounding Artsakh, Ruben Vardanyan made a statement reported by mass media, saying, “the vouchers are not working,” “people connected with officials are making money,” and “the created situation is being exploited for the benefit of a few individuals.” In this regard, I find it necessary to announce the following:

- The government of the Republic of Artsakh operates under crisis conditions, with the road connecting Artsakh to Armenia being blocked and the organization of the population's needs exclusively through humanitarian cargo deliveries. Every day, planning is carried out, internal needs are prioritized, and during this process, we are guided not by emotions or the drive to please the public, but by a comprehensive assessment of the situation and objective necessity. I believe that if approaches had been the same in the past, we would not be burdened with the needs we are currently meeting. Fortunately, the Artsakh society has approached the government’s policies with understanding, the reasons for which were also discussed publicly.

I also find it necessary to emphasize that, in addition to importing food products, the government has made efforts to support several interconnected sectors of the economy, which has allowed many economic operators to continue their operations and retain numerous employees, even paying taxes.

Regarding the vouchers, the deadline for the unused portion has been extended, and new ones will be distributed in the near future. The issue is that it is necessary not only to distribute vouchers but also to ensure the proper supply of goods designated by them. However, from the very first day of my tenure, the government has been forced to import large volumes of seeds alongside food to avoid missing the spring planting season and to address long-term food security issues.

Since the day I took up the position of State Minister of the Republic of Artsakh, I have personally been involved in regulating the retail prices of goods, and unlike the various and eclectic solutions proposed for regulation, I have exclusively chosen a legal path and have minimized the phenomena causing inflation through my direct participation, applying approaches and principles that seemed impossible for many.

Regarding the increase in food product prices, Ruben Vardanyan’s statements that “people connected with officials are making money,” and “the created situation is being exploited for the benefit of a few individuals” are phenomena that seemingly indicate the existence of corrupt acts, about which Mr. Vardanyan would never have declared or made allegations unless he had substantial evidence. In such a case, I am confident that Ruben Vardanyan has either already presented them to the law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Artsakh or will present them in the coming days.”