Within the framework of the events of the 20th anniversary of the 1988 disastrous earthquake the delegation headed by Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia. Minister of Diaspora Mrs Hranush Hakobyan, Minister of Education and Science Mr Spartak Seyranyan and Minster of Finance Mr Tigran Davtyan were in the delegation.
On the 20th
anniversary of the earthquake the representatives of the construction organizations, who came to Armenia during the days in December of 1988 were also in Vanadzor. The then First Secretary of the Communist Party of Georgia Mr Patiashvili, who had arrived in Gyumri on December 7, took part in the ceremonies.
In the Charles Aznavour Culture Center the photo exhibition of Robert Aramyan and Hamazasp Khach was opened. The photos vividly present the tragic picture of what happened 20 years ago.
In the culture center after watching the photos the NA Speaker and the members of the delegation paid their tribute with one minute’s silence in remembrance of the victims of the earthquake, then they listened to the word of the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II during the liturgy served in Gyumri Yot Verk Church. In Vanadzor Culture Center sounded Stabat Mater by Pergolezi performed by the chamber choir and orchestra of the municipality. 
At the journalists’ request touching upon the meaning of the day the NA Speaker Mr Hovik Abrahamyan noted: “20 years ago this day there was a big earthquake in Armenia, 25.000 people died, thousands of them lost their houses. It was a big trouble for our people, and the whole world hurried to help the Armenian people. Losses were big, and the restoration of the ruins could be a problem for superpower country. After the collapse of the Soviet Union the construction organizations working in Armenia left and the burden of restoring the disaster area was laid on the shoulders of the Armenian authorities. If you remember during those days in the territory of Armenia Yugoslavian plane was also crashed, which was bringing aid to the Armenian people that suffered from disaster.
Every year the authorities try to relieve the problems of the homeless, try to support the people, who lost their houses during the earthquake. During the last years several thousands of houses were built. However, today we have people living in small houses. In the three-year programme of the government construction worth 71bn drams is designed to fulfill. 600.000 square metres of residential area will be built and delivered to the homeless. From now on the budget allocations in that direction will be at the center of the attention of the National Assembly, and we will try to allocate more money by that budget to eliminate the consequences in areas suffered from the earthquake.
I am sure that in 2012 we won’t have people living in the small houses anymore. This is the problem of the President of the country, the government. Taking the advantage I support the families and friends of all the victims. This is not only their sorrow, but also the of whole Armenian people.”
After laying a wreath at the memorial stone built in the courtyard of Vanadzor St Mariam Astvatsatsin Church the delegation left for Shirakamut, which was the epicenter of the earthquake.
In the former Nalband a wreath was laid at the monument immortalizing the memory of the victims of the earthquake too. Later the NA Speaker took part at the opening ceremony of the monument built in the yard of Shirakamut secondary school. The monument was dedicated to the memory of the teachers, who died during the earthquake, in particular, Yeranosyans, who died with the students on December 7, 1988.
