Artsakh Council may to end talks with government

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Artsakh Rights Council has issued a statement outlining the outcomes of ongoing discussions with the Armenian government, particularly regarding housing, social aid, and employment for displaced persons.

It stressed that if talks do not result in tangible success, the Council will cease negotiations with the government and announce its next steps.

“As you know, expert working groups from the Artsakh Rights Council have been negotiating for some time with Armenian government representatives on issues such as housing, social support, employment, and more. Due to current developments and technical issues, we were unable to hold a planned public awareness gathering,” the statement noted.

Among the Council's proposals, several have been either fully or partially accepted by government representatives:

• Proposal: Replace fragmented beneficiary lists with a single, accurate database of forcibly displaced persons.Government response: An interagency commission will be created to review pending applications and assess individual cases. Amendments to Decision No. 710-L of May 16, 2024, are expected.
• Proposal: Include families receiving an additional mortgage loan (20% of property value) in the first beneficiary group.Government response: Future program access will be opened to all target groups, regardless of number of minors or other vulnerability factors.
• Proposal: Cease penalizing entire families if one member violates program terms.Government response: The option to cover loan repayments using the violator's share is under review; otherwise, property ownership may revert to the state.
• Proposal: Allow combining housing certificates from different state aid programs, including the "Affordable Housing for Young Families" initiative.Government response: This is partially allowed under current rules; further access to non-conflicting programs is planned.
• Proposal: Certificates should cover all current family members, including newborns.Government response: Children born by December 31, 2026, may be included if certificates are issued before December 31, 2025.
• Proposal: Certificate amounts should not count as liabilities in creditworthiness assessments.Government response: Banks confirmed assessments are made only on additional loans, not on certificate-backed sums.
• Proposal: Increase the threshold for residual fund use to at least 50% of total certificate value.Government response: Accepted.

The government expressed readiness to consider additional housing-related suggestions in the coming days. However, the Council noted that its most critical proposals have not been accepted. Discussions are ongoing and may lead to further adjustments.

As for social programs, the government has provided no meaningful positive feedback, and talks on employment improvements remain sluggish due to lack of sufficient data.

“If there is no success on key issues in the coming days, as publicly promised, the Council will terminate negotiations with the government and announce its next steps,” the statement concludes.