On March 6, RA NA Chairman Artur Baghdasaryan paid a visit to the Shirak marz, which became the fourth working visit the Chairman paid to the Armenian marzes. MPs Gagik Mkheyan, Samvel Balasanyan, Artak Arakelyan, Hovhannes Margaryan, marzpet (regional governor) Romik Manukyan accompanied the NA Chairman.

Exceptionally warm atmosphere reigned at all meetings; obviously, the people pin hopes on Chairman’s visit and are adamant that the questions addressed to him will not remain unattended or unanswered. The residents of the Shirak marz were keen on the resolution of issues of both local concern and national importance.

The first meeting was held with the Maralik residents. The Chairman called on to hold an open and sincere discussion seeking to expose all urgent issues and find appropriate resolutions. A complaint on the state of the Gyumri airport was submitted to the NA Chairman. Each citizen returning to his motherland is subjected to groundless detailed inspection, consequently, people resort to extortion in order to avoid red tape. “The issue is more than urgent, for the orderly functioning of the Gyumri airport is of strategic importance to the region,” said NA Chairman pledging commitment to take on the issue immediately upon returning to Yerevan. At the request of the Maralik residents the NA Chairman also elaborated on the foreign political issues pointing out challenges the Armenia still has to rise up to, i.e. settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, bellicose statements heard from Baku, the treacherous murder of an Armenian officer in Budapest, all of the foregoing calls for unification and vigorous work to insure the country’s security and development.

 
The Artik residents also evoked numerous issues during the meeting with the NA Chairman: restoration of buildings damaged by severe winds and accident-prone houses, refurnishing of the Artik Town Culture Center, street refurbishment and laying with asphalt, creating jobs.

As such the NA chairman pointed out that the development of small and medium business is brought to the fore and for the first time 250m AMD are allotted from the state budget for that purpose. Small and medium business regional support centers will be set up in all the Armenian regions. Youth issues will be weighted, specific programmes have already been elaborated for the purpose: centers developing computer skills will open in marzes.

The delegation headed by NA Chairman laid a wreath to the memorial of the earthquake victims and later paid a visit to Gyumri Child’s Home. This organization lodging almost 100 children under 7 with various physical disabilities is the second in the country. Turning 7 these children face a tough psychological problem, for they have to separate from the teachers who replaced their parents and start education in an altogether new institution. The problem can be resolved via assigning the Gyumri Child’s Home extra territory where children can further their education, reaching the level of, at least, third form. Artur Baghdasaryan promised to assist to the resolution of the problem.

NA Chairman attended the opening of a diamond-cutting unit in Gyumri, which is expected to create new jobs for the Gyumri residents.

Artur Baghdasaryan met with Gyumri residents in the packed hall of the Gyumri Dramatic Theatre. NA Chairman pledged to do his utmost to assist to the complete restoration of Gyumri and restore its status of a city of science, culture and art. Gyumri residents addressed various questions to Artur Baghdasaryan. The Chairman replied to part of the questions promising to comment on the others after gaining insight into appropriate matters.  The people handed thousands of letters to the Chairman and were reluctant to let Artur Baghdasaryan go, though the time from the beginning of the performance at the theatre had long passed.

Summarizing his visit to the Shirak marz during a press conference, Artur Baghdasaryan promised to personally reply all the letters and attached importance to personal meetings with people employing the pattern of familiarizing and dealing with the problems on the spot.