Artsakh Prime Minister Arayik Haroutyunyan yesterday visited the town of Martakert and the villages of Mataghis and Talish to take stock of the damage caused to homes and infrastructure by the recent shelling by the Azerbaijani military.

Haroutyunyan noted that his government has already started reconstruction work and that Martakert would be restored to its pre-shelling state in a few days. He added that residents would also be compensated for damage done to property and equipment.

“In a short time, Martakert must return to its original appearance and we will spare no effort to achieve this,” Haroutyunyan said. “In this light, I call on all our compatriots to restart their normal lives. I assure you that our borders are strong and that the enemy will take a long time to recover from the blow delivered by our army.”

The prime minister thanked all those state military personnel who remained at their posts during the recent crisis and faithfully fulfilled their duties.

Haroutyunyan also traveled to a frontline position in the north of Artsakh that had come under intense Azerbaijani fire and praised the soldiers stationed there.

The prime minister then visited Kashen mine operated by Base Metals and thanked management and staff for keeping the mine, a valuable contributor to the local economy, functioning during the fighting.