YEREVAN, January 12. /ARКА/. Mesrop Manukyan, a member of the Board of Trustees of Armenia’s Military Insurance Fund, said the 44-day war in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone cost Armenia $38.4 billion.
According to his estimates, human losses alone are estimated at $7 billion (about 4,500 killed soldiers and missing servicemen, 5,000 first-degree disabled people and 6,000 second-degree disabled people. Manukyan cited Council of Europe, which estimates the life of a person for the state at 3.1 million euros
He also recalled that the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund had invested about $150 million in various projects implemented in areas which are controlled now by Azerbaijan.
“In the town of Shushi alone, projects worth $15 million have been implemented. The total damage caused to the Armenian people by the loss of this town amounts to $500 million,” Manukyan said.
According to his estimates, the damage to the defense system amounts to about $2 billion, and the damage to the Sotk gold deposit is about $8 billion.
‘The cost of hydroelectric power plants in Artsakh which have also gone under Azerbaijani control is about $600 million. Besides, they were a guarantee of energy security and independence,” said Manukyan.
According to official statistics, up to 150 thousand tons of cereals and grain were grown annually in Artsakh, which, among other things, is an element of food security.
“According to preliminary estimates, about 95 thousand hectares of arable land have gone to the Azerbaijani side. About 30% of local tobacco was produced in Artsakh. Fruits and vegetables of the highest quality were supplied to Armenia from Artsakh. Fruits and vegetables worth about $ 300 million were annually produced on the lands, now controlled by Azerbaijan. Artsakh also supplied meat and meat products to Armenia. The damage to agriculture amounts to at least $ 3 billion,’ Manukyan said.
He also noted that the Military Insurance Fund has a debt of about $1.2 billion, which means potential taxpayers of Armenia will have to pay this amount.
According to him, the banking system lost about $1 billion, and 10 out of 15 mines in Artsakh came under the enemy’s control, the damage is estimated at $3 billion. At the same time, the damage to infrastructure (natural monopolies: electricity, gas, water supply, irrigation, roads) is estimated at about $2 billion
“Losses sustained by Kataro winery, Ishkhanadzor branch of Masis Tobaco LLC and others are estimated at $100 million,” Manukyan said.
He estimated the minimum moral damage to citizens at $3 billion and the damage to forests, lands, water resources and housing at $7 billion.
Also, in his words, invaluable damage was inflicted on the Armenian Diaspora, which from proud winners turned into a losing side.
“Our spiritual and cultural monuments, which have come under the control of the enemy, are priceless,” Manukyan said.
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 parties stopped at where they were at that time. 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. Internally displaced persons and refugees are returning to Karabakh and adjacent regions, prisoners of war, hostages and other detained persons and bodies of the dead are being exchanged.–0-