Recenty, yet another session of the Armenia-Nagorno Karabagh inter-parliamentary committee took place in Yerevan which, according to Chairman of the National Assembly of Nagorno Karabagh Ashot Ghulyan, was very helpful and worthwhile. Based on an agreement, the Armenia-Nagorno Karabagh inter-parliamentary committee sessions take place twice every year-once in Stepanakert and once in Yerevan.
We talked to head of the constant committee on financing, budget and economic management of the National Assembly of Karabagh Benik Bakhshiyan about the intergovernmental credit discussed during the session.
“The issue of compiling the economic legislation was on the agenda, but we didn’t really talk about that during the discussions as much as the economic relations between Armenia and Karabagh. The Armenian government has fixed the 2007 credit for Karabagh at 19 billion 402 million drams, which is 4.4% of Armenia’s state budget. In fact, the budget of Kashatagh is not included in the amount, so the credit will be increased by more than 2 billion. Taking into consideration the fact that Karabagh is an unrecognized state, its economy has suffered as a result of the war, the Armenian delegation has raised the issue that the 4.4% credit is not enough and it’s preferable to see a rise in the amount because Karabagh has many main issues, which may lead to demographic issues for Armenia and Karabagh later on. We think that the fixed amount of the intergovernmental credit can’t create prerequisites for economic development of Karabagh,” said Bakhshinyan. He said that their Armenian colleagues had considered the issue thoroughly. “They know that that amount can’t have an essential influence on Karabagh’s economic development, but they have based on the fact that Armenia’s regions are also in the same situation and confessed that for the time being, the Armenian government can only give that much,” he said.
Let’s recall that this year, the intergovernmental credit is 16 billion drams more and it’s clear to see that the amount tends to grow year by year. Whereas Karabagh received 7.5 billion drams from Armenia in 2000, today that amount has tripled. As for the Nagorno Karabagh government, it has already formulated the 2007 state budget, which must be confirmed by November 28 and be presented to the National Assembly by December 1, according to the head of the financing, budget and economic management constant committee of the Nagorno Karabagh National Assembly. “Is one month enough to discuss the state budget at the National Assembly?” In response to this question, Bakhshinyan said: “Of course, it would be preferable to extend the period and not give 30 days, however the Nagorno Karabagh government is able to formulate the final budget after ascertaining the final amount of intergovernmental credit from Armenia, after Armenia confirms the Armenian state budget.”