U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch visits Gegharkunik province

GAVAR, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS: U.S. Ambassador to Armenia MarieYovanovitch paid today a working and familiarizing visit to Gegharkunik province. She visited different regions of the province – Sevan, Gavar, Martuni, talked to the citizens, and then visited Noratus village, where she got acquainted with the fencing process of the local historical graveyard being implemented with the support of the US Embassy.

Marie Yovanovitch was received by Gegharkunik Governor Nver Poghosyan. The governor thoroughly presented the province, the economic opportunities and current social-economic issues.

Marie Yovanovitch said in a conversation with the governor that she has been to some places of the province, has got interested in every day life and lifestyle of the residents and wishes to have information on a number of issues, particularly, on creating of working places, on unemployment reduction and on issues on Lake Sevan.

Answering to the ambassador’s questions, Nver Poghosyan noted that the revenue of some part of the population is thanks to the outgoing work, and the unemployment is mainly conditioned by the closing of the industrial giants after the collapse of the USSR. At the moment the small and medium-sized enterprises are mainly in a developing stage. Among the prospective directions the governor singled out the agriculture and the tourism.

The governor expressed his readiness to cooperate with the US Embassy in Armenia in all the issues. The ambassador offered her cooperation especially in providing visas of departure from Armenia to the USA, in student exchange and in providing information on the order of the small grant programs of the democratic commission.