Our Task is to Modernize the Environment in Rural Communities, Says Prime Minister

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan presided over a meeting dedicated to the prospects of paving streets in rural communities. This information was provided by the press service of the Armenian government.

Opening the discussion, the Prime Minister stated: “Dear colleagues, we have gathered to discuss our actions related to the construction of inter-community and community roads. The conversation particularly pertains to the issues of environment shaping in rural communities, and we know that, unfortunately, our rural communities mostly lack roads. In other words, discussing the concept of roads there is quite conditional; they are merely paths that bring with them numerous problems, including civilizational ones. Our task is to make the environment in rural communities modern overall.”

He continued: “There are villages and communities where regular asphalt paving solves the issue, and we have also noticed in recent days that substantial work is taking place in many communities. However, there are communities and situations where it will not be possible to construct or repair roads using conventional asphalt paving due to relief, climatic, and other circumstances. We must discuss what alternative methods we have to enable the establishment of proper streets in villages. The first possible alternative is paving, and I have instructed that this topic be addressed with a view to reaching a conclusion.”

Pashinyan pointed out that the reason for the discussion was observations made during his recent regional visits, which indicated a need for the clear division of labor and mechanisms regarding this program.

The discussion then expanded around potential models for the renovation of rural community roads. Among the proposed solutions, Prime Minister Pashinyan found the effective use of local raw materials—specifically stone resources available in Armenia—to be intriguing. Possible options for the construction process of communal and inter-community roads were discussed, ranging from design to implementation. Issues related to the application of raw material processing technologies, procurement of relevant equipment, financial and time assessments of the project, formats and mechanisms of implementation, and preparation of standard guidelines were also addressed.

A pilot project’s feasibility for implementation in one of the rural communities rich in local raw materials was discussed, which would allow evaluation of its effectiveness and feasibility. The Prime Minister instructed that based on the outcomes of the discussion, a project developed using a specific community as an example should be presented by the end of next week.