President Serzh Sargsyan conducted a working visit to Gegharkunik and Tavush marzes

Today, President Serzh Sargsyan conducted a working visit to Gegharkunik and Tavush marzes.

In Gavar town of Gegharkunik marz, President Sargsyan visited the Center for Children Development and Rehabilitation (CCDR) – the Gavar branch of the Gegharkunik marz Arabkir Medical Center-Institute for Children and Adolescents Health (Arabkir MC-ICAH). The President toured the premise of the Center, familiarized with the conditions and quality of the services.

To provide for an early detection of the children with special needs in the marzes, assessment of their development and to make their rehabilitation affordable, Arabkir MC-ICAH with the assistance of the RA Ministry of Health in 2003 initiated the establishment in the marzes of Armenia of the Centers for Children Development and Rehabilitation. The President of Armenia was informed that the CCDR in Gavar, which has been operational since 2008, was a small one and had no capacity to provide medical services to all children of the marz. Thus, in 2010-2011 the Arabkir MC-ICAH, assisted by different organizations and sponsors established and furnished in this town another, a more spacious and comfortable center. The Center provides services to the children residing in Gegharkunik with physical, mental, hearing, speech and communication disabilities and other disorders. The Center can serve up to 200 children each year, receiving more that 15000 visits. It was also noted that the former CCDR will be serving as an information and training Resource center for the children’s development and disability prevention. In Gavar, Serzh Sargsyan attended also the ceremony of inauguration of the Gavar Medical Center, where he familiarized with the optimization and investment programs and capacities of this medical establishment. He was also informed that in the framework of the Program of Modernization of the Health Care system, conducted jointly by the World Bank and the Government of Armenia, the Gavar Medical Center was established by merging together the Gavar hospital and maternity home. In total, almost 3835 m2 area has been renovated and built and, in particular, a unit of the medical center has been totally renovated. The construction of the morgue and renovation of the unit of contagious diseases have also been started. In the framework of the program the hospital has been equipped with modern devices for the reception area, intensive care, diagnosis department and operating rooms; in addition the hospital has been furnished with medical and office furniture. The medical center has also a telecommunication system with the leading clinics in Yerevan which allows to conduct medical counseling.

From Gegharkunik, the President of Armenia traveled to Tavush marz. In Dilijan town, Serzh Sargsyan visited the recently opened Best Western Paradise Hotel, familiarized with the conditions in this up-to-date hotel, learned about the investments that have been made in the construction of the hotel and created jobs. The President of Armenia was informed that the reconstruction of the Best Western Paradise Hotel lasted for four years. The reconstruction and technical equipment required investment of seven million US dollars. It was also noted that regarding the Hotel’s compliance to the international quality standards, foreign experts and quality evaluators after conducting studies and making expert assessment on the Hotel’s performance made a decision regarding the conformity of the Hotel’s technical equipment and its services to the quality standards. The Hotel has become a member of the large family of the Best Western under the name of Dilijan Best Western Paradise Hotel. The Best Western is one of the largest hotel chains in the world, which has over 4000 hotels operating in more than 80 countries.

Ninety percent of the Hotel employees are local residents, who are constantly being retrained in accordance with the international standards.

In Dilijan, the President of Armenia visited also the construction site of the Dilijan Training and Research Center of the RA Central Bank. He was informed on the works conducted so far, construction process and floor designs. It was noted that the main objective of creating the Dilijan Training and Research Center is the establishment of a modern institute equipped with contemporary technical devises and based on the latest technologies. Regional and international conferences related to the economic and financial areas can be held here, as well as educational programs, which will allow the staff of the Central Bank to retrain, can be conducted. The Center will be also providing opportunities to conduct a multifaceted research related to the economic and financial areas. It is also planned to create new modern databases, which will become an additional incentive for the Armenian and international researchers who are engaged in practical works related to the Armenian economy.

The Center will provide space for commercial banks, ArCa processing center, ACRA credit and APPA bureaus while these entities will have the opportunity to establish storage for backup databases. The Center will also have a regional branch of a saving bank which will serve the regional financial organizations.

The total area of the Center is 29000 m2. The compound consists of two units: main and technical. The Center is scheduled to open in January 2013.

A residential building for the employees of the RA Central Bank is also under construction at the Dilijan Training and Research Center. It will comprise 64 apartments provided by the employer, with the living space totaling to 6290 m2. A kindergarten and commercial spaces situated at the first floor of the apartment building will provide services to the residents of Dilijan town. The former library of Dilijan is also being renovated by the RA Central Bank. The Bank is planning also to create here a modern Knowledge for Development Center which will occupy 1263,8 m2.




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During his working visit to Gegharkunik, at the new medical center the President of Armenia responded also to the questions raised by the journalists.

Mr. President, what do you think of Gavar’s new Medial Center?

My impressions are certainly excellent. You have seen for yourself what kind of conditions have been created and also heard that this is the seventh medical center which has been opened in the last two years. Next year, we will inaugurate the largest medical center in Gyumri and will give a start to the construction of six new centers. You see, during the meetings with the doctors as well as ordinary people it became clear that everybody understands the importance of having such centers. The issue is, of course, not only the timing but accessibility and convenience. It is obvious that if a resident of Gavar has to undergo treatment or be hospitalized, it is much more desirable to be at a place like this one, than travel to the capital; all the more so because the doctors also have to undergo professional retraining so that they can work with the modern equipment. This is part of our program for the even development of the regions, an important part; however we will not limit ourselves with the health care only. I believe, we all should be happy. On the other hand, expectations rise too. We should provide our people with all necessary services, making them more affordable and of a better quality. My impressions are excellent. For instance, the doctors say, perhaps they exaggerate a little, but they say that there are devices here which many of the hospitals in Yerevan do not have. It is, of course, very good.

Just a moment ago, we have been in other medical center, where children are being treated and rehabilitated. Together with Arabkir Medical Center, the state-private sector cooperation implements a very nice program which allows children with chronic illnesses, those with mental and physical disabilities to rehabilitate their health. I am saying this because as you know, in a week we will be commemorating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and this is a very good signal to our society to underscore the attitude toward the people with disabilities.

Mr. President, if you allow a question on another topic: recently the situation at the border has again become disquiet. Could you please comment on that?

As long as the problem is not solved, the situation on the border will always be disquiet. However, we don’t want that disquiet to translate into the loss of human life. As you know, in the last two days we have lost two soldiers, and the death of our troops, the guilt for the loss of these two troops lies totally with the Azerbaijani authorities. They are also responsible for the future losses in their army: the life of just one soldier is too precious for us. If they don’t give a damn about the lives of their troops, we value the lives of our troops very much. Make no mistake about that. I believe, that this disquiet will subside.

Why? What your conviction is based on?

Why? Because we want it, because it is logical, because human reasoning demands it. Everything is going to be all right, have no doubt. You see, to solve a problem, we should have a desire to solve it, as well as conviction. If there is no conviction, if there is no goal, we can do nothing.

Mr. President, one question on internal matters. Recently, the leader of the Heritage political party Raffi Hovhanissian made a statement, urging you publicly to conduct free and fair elections. What’s your opinion?

Unfortunately, the statement was not a considerate one; it was not intended to improve our political processes - in this case the organization of the elections but rather was done to compromise the process which has already been launched. As you know, we got into gear, and our goal is to conduct very good elections. I would like to stress that the last two elections – Presidential and parliamentary – were assessed by the international monitors as “mainly” corresponding to the international standards. Our goal is to eliminate the word “mainly,” i.e. to have elections which fully correspond to international standards. Toward that end, we have introduced multiple changes into the Election Code, which have been approved by our European and other partners. It means that we not only intend to but are also making concrete steps. I believe, the objective of that statement was simply to besmirch and damage that process. However, I think that nothing can get in our way. We will be moving forward steadily and will not only conduct elections in the best possible way but also all political processes – calmly, quietly, making no fuss, paying no heed to those full of hatred, paying no heed, I wouldn’t say to their assessment, because they have no right to make assessments, but to their opinion. Disregarding their poison, disregarding their vicious goal, we will do our best to improve everything, and I trust everyone will have the opportunity, as they have today, to see it.

Everything will be fine. By the way, despite all that, yesterday we responded to Mr. Hovhanissian’s letter and published our view.