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On October 22 the RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan was on a working visit in Gyumri, where he took part in the celebration of the “Day of Gyumri,” which has already become traditional, and is held every year since 2003. It was celebrated with the participation of such guests like NA deputies, members of the Government, figures of science and culture from the capital.

First the NA Speaker visited Gyumri Mush-2 quarter, where he got acquainted with the ongoing housing construction. Here 1780 appartments and necessary sub-structures are built for the functioning of the newly created quarter. After taking a tour in construction site through the newly constructed flats Hovik Abrahamyan got acquainted with the quality of the construction and living conditions. The NA Speaker expressed satisfaction with the quality of the works done, at the same time noting that consummation of the construction within scheduled terms should not be done at the expense of its quality.

Afterwards, the Speaker of the National Assembly laid a wreath at the cross stone perpetuating the memory of the heroes devoted their life to the Motherland, in one of the cemeteries, where the censing of the reconstructed tombs of the freedom fighters from Gyumri, who died in the Artsakh war, was done.

Within the framework of the celebrations of the “Day of Gyumri” in the NA Speaker’s presence the children’s leisure center “Miracles of the World” also opened, and the NA Vice Speaker Samvel Nikoyan and Mayor of Gyumri Vardan Ghukasyan cut the ribbon of entrance.

Gyumri was in decoration and festive mood, and the guests, who arrived from the capital, were also convinced in that. The NA and those accompanying him took a tour in Gyumri and became the immediate witnesses and participants of the festive atmosphere. The solemn event, which took place in the hall of “Hoktember” cinema, was also the continuation of the celebrations dedicated to the city, during which golden “Honourable Master” medals and memorial medals were handed over. This year they were given to the RA People’s Artist Zhenya Avetisyan, painter Valmar, singer Alik Gyunashyan and Robert Emmiyan, European record winner, distance jumper, President of the Armenian Atheletic Federation.

Congratulating the residents of Gyumri on the holiday of the city in his speech the NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan stated: “I am very glad to be again in your hospitable city rich in traditions, knowing the value of bread and salt, in the city of crafts and arts, in Gyumri, in this environment breathing with culture.

The word and speech of a Gyumri habitant have big value and are so weighty that not everybody is able to resist that weight. There are honour and dignity, skill and mastery, sincere feelings in the word of the Gyumri resident, which help to express more comprehensibly even the most serious things through laughter, and, of course, endless love towards a human being and the Motherland. Rather not haphazardly Gyumri has given real masters of word and work, whose creations are genuine values of Armenian culture.

A few months ago I was again in Gyumri, where the final of the Recitation Republican Competition-Festival had already been held for the third time. It was very pleasant for me that the Competition-Festival was dedicated to the 95^th anniversary of the acclaimed poet and real citizen of Gyumri Hovhannes Shiraz. With his activity and spirit Hovhannes Shiraz is a bridge between Gyumri and Yerevan, Gyumri and other marzes of Armenia, and different parts of Armenia spread throughout the world, between Masis and Aragats, between the Eastern and Western Armenias.

Dear citizens of Gyumri, irrespective of the nature and human disasters: earthquake or war, Gyumri has kept its honoured face, has bent, leaned, yet was able to get straight, ascend, because nothing is ever able to break the spirit of a Gyumri resident. They say Yerevan is the capital of Armenia, Gyumri is the Father city of it, and Gyumri keeps itself like father, manly, in order the whole family, looking at the father, always keeps the spirit high.

Dear citizens of Gyumri, you like not only to utter the words directly, but also to hear right words. And today I don’t want to call on you to treat with perception because everybody, especially the authorities, understands and sees that today’s social-economic situation is not that desirable we would like to see, and which we seek for. I just wish to sincerely say to you, thank you for keeping the honour of the country, and be sure that the country stands next to Gyumri, at this moment, maybe, launching little, but continuous and uninterrupted steps in prospering Gyumri. As Gyumri is the salt and taste of the country, and everybody is interested in maintaining that taste continually. If today a joke is born and told in Gyumri, then nobody has the right to doubt the liveliness of this city, because despite the wounds Gyumri has still to sing songs, because the laughter and the joke of Gyumri will always sound, and let everybody say whatever he wants, but Gyumri has not lost its smile and continues to share it luxuriously with everybody from Yerevan to Paris and Los Angeles…

Dear Gyumri residents, Gyumri is the place, where the words “national “ and “value” are inseparable from each other and feed each other, and Gyumri, the word of the Gyumri habitant are the very values, and all of us should treat them with care, guard and support them. I would like to end my speech with the following lines of the letter from one of the children of “Huys” (Hope) orphanage in Gyumri, dedicated to the native city, with which I got acquainted on the internet:

“It is our turn to keep,

It is our turn to build,

It is our turn to refresh.”

The NA Speaker also congratulated the cultural and sport figures, who received awards of the city, wishing them new success.

The NA Speaker took a tour in the central square of Gyumri, had been in the “Alley of Cross Stones,” which had been created in the vicinity of St. All-Saviour Church, where he saw the copies of cross stones, which had been ruined and destroyed in Jugha, and the series of them had been added with new ones. Everywhere one can feel the full breadth of the city in the process of construction and straightening, documenting that Gyumri is getting prospered and restored.

The celebrations of the day continued in the central square of the city with the big festive concert, where the Speaker of the Parliament together with the Gyumri habitants and the guests from the city attended the festive concert.