Twenty-four families of servicemen in the Defense Forces of the NKR has recently been allocated apartments in the Martakert region of the country. Present at the handing over ceremony was NKR President Bako Sahakyan, Prime Minister Arayik Harutyunyan and other government officials. President Sahakyan also took the occasion to visit the village of Mataghis to familiarize himself with the work underway to construct apartments for thirty-six other servicemen and their families. The builders promised that the new flats would be ready by November. In 2008, new apartments were handed over to 131 NKR service personnel.