Pashinyan: even after 30 years, the "disaster zone" continues to be  on the agenda of the government

ArmInfo."Your pain is in my heart, your needs are in my thoughts, your dreams are in my soul. Thus, I can say with confidence that everything will actually be  fine," the Acting  Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan stated  on December 7 in the city of Gyumri of the Armenian Shirak region   addressing the residents of the "disaster zone".

Acting Prime Minister recalled that on December 7, 1988 a  catastrophic earthquake occurred. A series of aftershocks in 30  seconds almost destroyed the city of Spitak and caused severe  destruction to the cities of Leninakan (now Gyumri), Kirovakan (now  Vanadzor) and Stepanavan. The earthquake, according to official data,  killed 25 thousand people, 140 thousand became disabled, and more  than 500 thousand people lost their homes.

This tragic event, as noted by Pashinyan, rallied the entire Armenian  people.  "Hundreds of thousands of Armenians from the Diaspora turned  their gaze towards the historical homeland. The world-famous French  chanson of Armenian origin, Charles Aznavour, who visited Armenia  immediately after the earthquake, was the most vivid example",  Pashinyan stated. The earthquake has become a peculiar reason for  human unity as well. The friendly countries of Armenia of the USSR  and the whole world, as the Acting Prime Minister extended a helping  hand to the Armenian people.

 Nevertheless, according to Pashinyan,  even after 30 years, the concept of "disaster zone" continues to be  on the agenda of the government of the country. "Talking about the  "disaster zone", we understand the existence of housing problems for  people affected by the earthquake, problems with the construction of  schools and kindergartens," Pashinyan stressed. Meanwhile, as he  pointed out, it must be remembered that earthquakes not only left  hundreds of thousands of people homeless, but also destroyed about  40% of the industrial potential of the republic.

 "Thus, speaking of the restoration of the" disaster zone ", we must understand that we have to solve not only housing problems and the construction of schools and  kindergartens, but also the restoration of the economic potential of  the region," Nikol Pashinyan stressed. According to him, perhaps the  worst consequences of the 1988 earthquake remain in the souls of  people and their memory. "After the earthquake, Armenia turned into  one big  "disaster zone" psychologically.

Our main task is to  overcome this psychological trauma," he stressed. In this context, as  stated by the. the prime minister, in the "disaster zone", the  authorities of the country should first of all take care of restoring  people's faith in tomorrow, their confidence in a bright future.   Armenian Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan laid a wreath at the  monument to the victims of the Spitak earthquake in the courtyard of  the Amenaprkich Church (All-Savior) in Gyumri.