Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his spouse Anna Hakobyan attended the opening of the 21st Yerchanyan Perspectives International Music Festival in Berd, which featured a performance by Armenia’s National Philharmonic Orchestra led by Eduard Topchyan.

The Prime Minister delivered concluding remarks at the close of his visit to Tavush Marz border communities. In his speech, the Prime Minister reminded that on August 28, the Government paid tribute in Sardarapat to those Armenian servicemen who perished in the victorious battles of July, noting that the unprecedented concert, which concluded his regional visit, had that very meaning.

Nikol Pashinyan noted that the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra had never before performed in Berd, and he did not even remember when a classical concert was last held in Berd.

“Today’s events are intended to pay the same tribute to the heroic people of Tavush, to the enlarged Berd community. While forged by our troops, by the Armenian army, the victorious battles of July were largely facilitated by the support provided on the part of the heroic people of Tavush. Today we can make records on several occasions, using the word “unprecedented” to show that victories do not fall from the skies: they are the result of teamwork and consistency,” the Prime Minister said.

Nikol Pashinyan advised that prior to visiting Berd he had called at the border community of Chinari, where not a single residential building had been built for the past few decades of Armenia’s independence.

“A well-furnished residential building is being built from scratch in Chinari on the government’s initiative, which will be handed over to a large family of ten by this yearend. Movses village had never seen an asphalt road throughout its history. Today, the village boasts a road that meets all modern requirements.

The village of Nerkin Karmirakhbyur had not had an asphalt road ever since Armenia’s independence. Today Nerkin Karmirakhbyur is connected to a highway of national importance through a newly built modern-standards-compliant road. A state-of-the-art park will hopefully appear in Nerkin Karmirakhbyur by the end of the year. We call it “Park of Mothers and Children,” which is supposed to change the atmosphere in the community.

There had never been asphalted streets in Aigepar community. Today, all the streets in Aygepar are asphalted, the shelling-affected roofs are being renovated, and this is sure to change the settlement’s local color.

Today, as I was meditating about the renovated roofs in Aygepar, I asked to myself what our soldiers could see when looking back at the rear. They could see roofs eyeing the future, developing settlements full of optimism; they could see a country tuned in to the future, and of course, they could see a civilized and cultured rear. By the way, today’s concert is referred to as “Culture in the Rear,” the Premier said.

In Pashinyan’s words, his visit reflected the Government’s vision of a new way of life for people in communities, especially in rural areas. “I just said one could hardly remember the time a classical concert was last held in Berd. But we want such concerts to be held on a regular basis, and not only by invitation cards. We want there to be ticket offices in Berd, in other communities for people standing in line ready to and capable of paying for the concert. With this concert, we are formulating a strategic vision and a way of life for our country, our homeland, our region, and our communities.

Dear enlarged Berd community residents,

We have come to thank you for keeping strong the back of our army and the borders of our country, first of all in moral and psychological terms.

I happened to visit Aygepar in my capacity of Member of Parliament during a flare-up in 2015, and I voiced the following idea when hosted in a local family. I even remember the name of the eldest member of that family. I told him that theirs was perhaps the last home in Armenia on the border with the neighboring country. The 75-80 year-old man turned to me and said: no, this is the first house in Armenia. And we have come to say that the remarks of that senior resident of Aygepar have been converted into a state policy today, which will be implemented and materialized consistently. Thank you, I love you all; I bow to you, and I am proud of each of you. Long live the heroic people of Tavush!” the Prime Minister concluded.