Pashinyan says economic power of ‘disaster zone’ must be restored
07.12.2018,
16:25
Speaking at a ceremony today in the second-largest town of Gyumri that marked the 30th anniversary of the Spitak earthquake Armenia’s acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said the final restoration of the ‘disaster zone’ means also the restoration of its destroyed economic power.
YEREVAN, December 7. /ARKA/. Speaking at a ceremony today in the second-largest town of Gyumri that marked the 30th anniversary of the Spitak earthquake Armenia’s acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said the final restoration of the ‘disaster zone’ means also the restoration of its destroyed economic power.
"When we talk about restoring the disaster zone, we mean not only the solution of people's housing problems, the restoration of public facilities, but also the restoration of the region’s economic power and the potential that existed in Gyumri, Spitak, Vanadzor, Akhuryan and other settlements," he said.
Pashinyan said the number of victims was a direct blow to the potential and economy of the country and a giant blow to the psychology and morality of the Armenian people. He said the greatest damage is the destruction that took place in people's souls, and expressed hope that the changes taking place in Armenia now, will first of all help restore the hopes and confidence of people.
He said nonetheless that catastrophe became a unique cornerstone of national unity, when hundreds of thousands, millions of Armenians turned their attention to their homeland. He said not only the republics of the former Soviet Union but also many other countries extended hands of assistance to the Armenian people and Armenia, demonstrating a unique example of global unity. However, 30 years on, the notion of “disaster zone”has not been eliminated, he said.
Measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale, the Spitak Earthquake took place on December 7, 1988 at 11:41 local time. Local infrastructure – schools, hospitals, public facilities and residential buildings –was badly damaged causing massive death toll (officially- 25,000) and injuring tens of thousands. The earthquake destroyed the entire city of Spitak and partially damaged the nearby cities of Gyumri (then called Leninakan) and Vanadzor (then called Kirovakan). The tremor also damaged many surrounding villages. -0-
"When we talk about restoring the disaster zone, we mean not only the solution of people's housing problems, the restoration of public facilities, but also the restoration of the region’s economic power and the potential that existed in Gyumri, Spitak, Vanadzor, Akhuryan and other settlements," he said.
Pashinyan said the number of victims was a direct blow to the potential and economy of the country and a giant blow to the psychology and morality of the Armenian people. He said the greatest damage is the destruction that took place in people's souls, and expressed hope that the changes taking place in Armenia now, will first of all help restore the hopes and confidence of people.
He said nonetheless that catastrophe became a unique cornerstone of national unity, when hundreds of thousands, millions of Armenians turned their attention to their homeland. He said not only the republics of the former Soviet Union but also many other countries extended hands of assistance to the Armenian people and Armenia, demonstrating a unique example of global unity. However, 30 years on, the notion of “disaster zone”has not been eliminated, he said.
Measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale, the Spitak Earthquake took place on December 7, 1988 at 11:41 local time. Local infrastructure – schools, hospitals, public facilities and residential buildings –was badly damaged causing massive death toll (officially- 25,000) and injuring tens of thousands. The earthquake destroyed the entire city of Spitak and partially damaged the nearby cities of Gyumri (then called Leninakan) and Vanadzor (then called Kirovakan). The tremor also damaged many surrounding villages. -0-
