Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a consultation to discuss the status of school buildings and problems related to secondary schools’ seismic resistance.

“We must realize the possible solutions, the funding sources, the timeframes and toolkits applicable to such solutions,” the Prime Minister said.

The responsible officials reported on the schools with seismic resistance-related problems. The Seismic Safety Improvement Program states that 46 schools are highly vulnerable in terms of seismic resistance. USD107 million is envisaged for their rehabilitation and reconstruction. Some of these funds have been committed by the Asian Development Bank, with the balance to be provided by the Government of Armenia. Construction work is underway in 8 schools, which will be completed in 2019.

The responsible officials assured that as a result, we will have earthquake-proof schools capable of resisting tremors of magnitude 4.5 and greater. In addition, educational institutions will have shelters. The ongoing construction activities for 46 schools were said to be complete by 2023.

Highlighting the quality of construction works, Nikol Pashinyan noted that in order to tackle the problem of schools’ seismic resistance, talks need to be initiated with international partners. “All the programs will have to be implemented under strict control, and the generally acknowledged construction traditions should be strictly observed in a bid to ensure their maximum efficiency. We need to ensure that tenders are 100% transparent,” the Premier emphasized.