Armenian premier pledges Gyumri development plan  

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan pledged government efforts to initiate life-changing programs in Gyumri as he visited the second largest city to commemorate the annivarsary of the 1988 devastating earthquake.

Although 29 years have passed since the disaster, many households still live in temporary vans.

Addressing the housing problem, the premier refrained from unveiling specific timeframes but gave strong assurances that his government's programs will bring about drastic changes to improve the quality of life.

“We have a complex program promising fundamental reforms in Gyumri. We have to work regularly every day to bring about changes in life, and those changes will certainly happen.  The problems Gyumri is facing today are possible to totally overcome; all we have to do is to be optimistic and work accordingly,” he added.

Later on Thursday, the premier laid flowers at the Gyumri monument eternalizing the earthquake victims. He was accompanied by Arthur Khachatryan, the regional governor of Shirak, and Achbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, the primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church's local diocese.