YEREVAN, JUNE 9, ARMENPRESS. The problems faced by people with disabilities and the existing issues in the field must be solved, Armenia’s Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Artem Asatryan said, reports Armenpress.

“I attach great importance to exchange of international experience, especially with those countries who take steps, measures towards inclusive policy, and also have respective mechanisms installed. It’s necessary to create equal conditions and opportunities for disabled people and take practical steps on that path. I highly appreciate the cooperation with the Ombudsman’s Office, the Embassy of Argentina and a number of NGOs since the experience of the past years shows that results can only be achieved through a joint work. The goal of everyone’s work is the same, we all understand that the demands in that field now are greater and the problems must be solved without delay”, the Minister said.

Argentina’s Ambassador to Armenia H.E. Gonzalo Urriolabeitia said everything must be done for the society to be changed rather than just to help the disabled people.

“Now we live in a new era, for instance, the President of Ecuador, one of Argentina’s ministers are also people with disabilities. This shows that currently we live exclusively in another era. We all need to be changed, we should change the public in order to correctly perceive our difference and make life better for all of us”, the Ambassador said.

Armenian Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan added that disabled people face problems which must be solved. He also attached importance to the role of NGOs in this regard. “I have already been convinced for many times that without engagement of NGOs it is impossible to reach any significant result. In particular, the NGOs operating in this field enable to correctly understand the problems of the field and take measures on solving them. The scope of people with disabilities requires hard-work from all partners. We all have to do everything to ensure that disabled person will not face discrimination, and, of course,  will be completely engaged in the public life”, the Ombudsman said.

According to him, the international organizations play a key role, putting an emphasis on especially that of the Ambassadors of France and Argentina to Armenia with whom they cooperate in this field.