No solution has yet been found regarding the granting of special status to the families of the victims of the fuel depot explosion in Karabakh: Torosyan

Discussions regarding the granting of a special status to the families of those who died in the fuel depot explosion in Karabakh are ongoing, though no solution has been found yet. This was stated by the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Arsen Torosyan, during a joint session of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Labor and Social Affairs and the Standing Committee on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs—held to discuss the 2027 draft state budget—in response to a question from Artur Khachatryan, a deputy from the "Armenia" faction.

The deputy inquired how the government intends to resolve the issue concerning the status of the relatives of the explosion victims, emphasizing that this matter has been raised for years.

Torosyan noted that the issue was also discussed during a meeting with compatriots forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh. The Minister distinguished between the cases of families of those who died and those of individuals who remain missing. "Our issue primarily concerns citizens who are currently missing, whose family members are not receiving a 'loss of breadwinner' allowance," he said.

According to the Minister, family members of those who died as a result of the explosion are receiving a 'loss of breadwinner' allowance. He also mentioned the one-time compensation payments that were provided, noting that different mechanisms were applied for military personnel and civilians.

Addressing the question of establishing a special status for everyone, Torosyan emphasized the need to assess the implications of any legislative changes.

"I believe we need to be cautious in this regard. Discussions are, of course, ongoing, and a commission is also involved in these deliberations. If we can find a solution that does not create further problems, we are not opposed to it." "To be honest, we haven't found a solution yet, because we need to make changes to the laws, carry out adjustments, and so on," the minister noted.

In response, Khachatryan cited a decision by the Court of Appeal, noting that it linked the deaths of the victims to the consequences of the war. He proposed organizing a separate meeting—involving the ministry and the legal successors of the victims—with the aim of finding a solution to the issue.

"Let us—you, us, and the legal successors of the victims—meet, perhaps in a smaller group, and try to bring this matter to a conclusion," the MP suggested.

Torosyan expressed his readiness to participate in a meeting held in the proposed format.