The attempts by individuals in Nagorno-Karabagh to justify their demands for the incorporation of that region into neighboring Armenia, a Soviet republic in Transcaucasia, by its alleged economic backwardness compared to Azerbaijan (another Soviet republic in Transcaucasia) are irresponsible, a senior local government official pointed out today.

Ayaz Mutalibov, deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers in Azerbaijan, of which the Nagomo-Karabagh autonomous region is part, told a TASS correspondent:

"In many areas of the national economy, Nagorno-Karabagh, in which Armenians make up the majority, is noticeably ahead of the average indicators in the entire republic."

"Industrial output more than trebled in the region over the past 15 years. Nagorno-Karabagh plays an important role in the economy of entire Azerbaijan and is closely connected with all its other regions."

"They sent to Nagorno-Karabagh various equipment, metal articles, building materials, fuel and energy resources, raw materials and consumer goods."

"In turn, the autonomous region supplies electrical fixtures, silk fabric, musical instruments and foodstuffs."

Food and light industries were developing especially fast in the autonomous region, Mutalibov said. Machine-building accounted for more than 80 percent of industrial production. Branches of several Azerbaijani industrial enterprises were being set up in the region.

Mutalibov drew attention to the extensive program of Nagorno-Karabagh's social development, including housing construction. "There are more kindergartens, hospital beds and libraries per capita of its population compared to an average in Azerbaijan."

[Tass. February 23,1988]