President Serzh Sargsyan’s working visit to Tavush Marz

President Serzh Sargsyan paid a working visit to the Tavush Marz. The visit started in Dilijan where Armenia’s president had a meeting with representatives of the 200-member Luys Community at the Central Bank Education and Research Center in Dilijan. The representatives included board members, scholars, alumni, new students and participants of the Global Teaching Lab.

Prior to it, at the foyer of the center, the teams participating in the Luys Develop Armenia Together Program presented to the president the projects implemented in their communities. The teams have tried to use the knowledge received at leading higher educational institutions of the world, their experience and contacts to make Armenia a more prosperous country.

Following the brief description of sub-projects implemented in five communities and the summing up of intermediary results by Armenian pupils in International Science Olympiads, the Luys alumni, who live and work in Armenia, presented their works, the foundation’s special working groups their works done in the areas of education, architecture, entrepreneurship and data science and the winners of the Start Armenia Entrepreneurship Fund Competition their projects. Armenia’s president handed over diplomas and decorations to the winners of the Start Armenia competition.

According to tradition, RA President Serzh Sargsyan, Co-Founder of the Luys Foundation, handed over Luys scholarship certificates to the new students. 53 new students have won the 2015-2016 scholarships and 54 students continue their education by the help of the Luys Foundation.

Serzh Sargsyan congratulated the students and wished them further success in their education and in realization of future objectives. Indeed, every year I look forward to this meeting. First of all, I would like to congratulate this year’s beneficiaries of the Luys Foundation; all those who have entered the world’s leading universities and have already got support from the Luys Foundation. I think that in our time, there is no need to talk about the importance of education, especially with you. But as the president of the Republic of Armenia, I would like to assure all of you that your Motherland and your state are always ready to stand beside you, as you embark on the path of improving your professional skills and your knowledge. All countries need smart people and competitive specialists, not to talk about our country. Hence, I repeat once again that we will spare no effort to help you utilize your full potential. Today the world is changing rapidly, and in this rapidly developing world every next generation needs to receive better education than its predecessor; it needs to be smarter, better informed and make right decisions. In this respect, I am glad that Armenia is bringing up a good generation, the very generation coming after you, which simply made me happy during the last week. Probably, you know, if not, then be aware that three International Science Olympiads took place last week – in physics, mathematics and biology – where out of 15 Armenian participants 14 won medals,” said President Serzh Sargsyan, comparing those results with the number of medals won by foreign pupils, according to which Armenia has quite a big advantage.
The president thanked the Luys students and alumni who receive education at the world’s leading universities, return to the Motherland and use that knowledge to make our people prosperous. “I am confident that many of you can remain and work there. It is an option too, but I think not the best one. The best option is this moment when all of you gather in Armenia; one goes to Gargar, the other Shushi, the third to Gyumri, and tries to be of help to our country. You have implemented good projects. Well done. I would like to conclude my brief speech by your very slogan – “Develop Armenia Together.” Otherwise, amid these geopolitical shifts, we might suddenly fall behind. On you depends the international role to be played by Armenia in the coming decades, and most importantly, if Armenia will gain the right to exist forever or not. I am sure that today we have that right, have that opportunity, and, of course, I am hopeful that you will hold that right firmly. After 10 to 15 years, the people sitting in this hall are going to govern our country. I wish all of you success and I really want you to use your time and age to gain knowledge and human qualities,” said President Serzh Sargsyan.

Later on, the president left Dilijan for Berd. As part of his working visit to the Tavush Marz, the president visited a number of border settlements.

As part of his working visit to the Tavush Marz, President Serzh Sargsyan attended the opening ceremony of a newly-built hospital in Berd. Armenia’s president had familiarized himself with the construction and modernization works of this medical institution during his visit to the Tavush border settlements on April 5 last year.

Accompanied by healthcare officials, representatives of the World Bank and local authorities, Serzh Sargsyan toured the newly-opened medical institution, familiarized himself with the works done and the qualified medical conditions, and talked to the medical staff.

Berd Medical Center CJSC was established by the RA government decree N1911-N of 12.11.2006 to optimize the healthcare system in the RA marzes, according to which Berd Polyclinic and Berd Hospital CJSCs were merged. It was planned to locate the ambulatory service and the administrative section in the subsidiary building of infectious diseases, while all the hospital services in the polyconic building. As a result of the works, the medical center has been reorganized into an establishment offering mainly intensive and urgent medical services.

During the tour, the president was presented that under a World Bank loan project, the Berd Medical Center’s two-floor polyclinic building and one-floor building of infectious diseases (around 1700 sq. m) were reconstructed and an adjacent structure (900 sq. m) was built. As part of modernization, the two buildings’ roof covers have been fully replaced, the partitions have been reconstructed, a new medical elevator has been installed, and all the internal engineering infrastructures have been upgraded. A new boiler-house has been built next to the building of infectious deceases and the electrical sub-station has been fully renovated. The center’s surroundings have also been improved, including asphalting, installation of outdoor lighting etc. The Berd Medical Center has been saturated with modern medical equipment, medical furniture and accessories. A total of 940.2 million-dram investments have been made. The modernized center will give the population of the Berd region the opportunity to receive qualified, affordable and up-to-date medical services in close vicinity to their settlements.

Afterwards, Serzh Sargsyan left Berd for another border settlement, Verin Karmir Aghbyur, where Armenia’s president attended the opening ceremony of a nursery designed for 80 children. Previously, children living in Verin Karmir Aghbyur had been attending a wooden kinder garden built back in 1923. The construction of the new kinder garden building started in 1991 and was left unfinished. The new kinder garden has been reconstructed on the foundation of that unfinished building. The construction works were initiated by the president on 12.09.2013 and finished on 30.03.2015. Their costs amounted to 119.8 million drams. The kinder garden has been saturated with property being worth 5.2 million drams, including two-floor beds, tables, chairs, wardrobes etc. Prior to its reconstruction, the kinder garden was attended by 35 children. As a result of the reconstruction, 71 children will attend this pre-school institution. At present, the kinder garden has nine employees with a 65,000 average salary. Three more employees are expected to be engaged.

President Serzh Sargsyan visited the workshop of Tavush Textile in the Tavush Choratan village and familiarized himself with its running operations, educational-launch processes, as well as with the company’s development projects.

Tavush Textile LLC was founded on 16.02.2015 in Choratan village by Russia-based businessman SurenYeritsyan. The company plans to produce multi-purpose gloves, i.e. agricultural, construction, anti-freeze and anti-corrosion. To organize production, two decrepit cattle sheds had been acquired. Presently, the total space of the one-floor reconstructed workshop is 2000 sq. m. The construction works started on 15.03.2015 and finished 15.07.2015. According to the company’s executives, products will be exported to the RF and Belarus. At present, daily production capacity comprises 16,000 pairs of gloves. Already 50 jobs have been created in Choratan with an average monthly salary of 100,000 drams. Presently, one more workshop is being reconstructed in the village with a total space of 2000 sq. m. The construction works started on 15.06.2015 and are expected to finish on 30.11.2015. After the reconstruction works, the workshop will employ another 100 employees. According to the head of the company, running at its full power will allow the company to employ up to 250 employees with an average monthly salary of 100,000 drams.

« In the upcoming five years, Tavush Textile plans to create a total of around 2000 jobs and make about 40 million us dollar investments, out of which around five million will be made during 2015-2016. Already 2.5 million USD equivalent of AMD has been made to this end. The company also plans to open new branches in the marz villages of Artsvaberd, Aygedzor, Koghb, Paravakar and in the town of Berd.

Armenia’s president wished the company success in its current activities and upcoming development projects.

After visiting the workshop, President Serzh Sargsyan also talked to dwellers of Choratan village.