STEPANAKERT. – Minister of State Ruben Vardanyan had meetings with Artsakh’s (Nagorno-Karabakh) business entities engaged in wholesale and retail trade, as well as owners and representatives of restaurants and public catering facilities in order to listen to their problems, and to discuss the possibilities of implementing certain regulations in the current crisis. This was reported by the information and public relations department of the state minister's office.

The Minister of State thanked the businessmen for their understanding and dignified behavior, noting that there were no signs of inflation in Artsakh amid the shortage of goods.

"I know that you work in difficult conditions and have to find solutions to various issues. I look forward to hearing your opinions, suggestions that will help us make better decisions. I must say without exaggeration that we are in quite a difficult situation. But we—the authorities and the people—shall go through this path together. There is no other way to overcome it. For this, mutual understanding, mutual respect, and transparent work are very important so that you do not have a feeling of injustice; this is a principled approach for us," the state minister said.

He emphasized that the Artsakh government is open to listen to any opinion and proposal, discuss and correct mistakes, and find together the solutions that will be the most optimal in these realities.

The participants of the meeting, in their turn, noted that they understand the situation very well and are ready to assist the Artsakh government in every possible way.

At the meeting with representatives of public catering facilities, the possibilities of applying some restrictions were discussed. It was noted that in the conditions of food shortages and electricity savings, there was a need to apply certain restrictions related to the holding of mass events and celebrations in Artsakh.

The participants of the meeting assured that they understand the current situation in Artsakh very well and know that these restrictions are due to objective reality. Some of the participants even informed that, based on the situation, they had already made such decisions on their own initiative. Also, they presented their proposals, stressing that they are ready to work with the Artsakh government to jointly overcome difficulties.