Within six months of Strong Armenia party coming to power in Armenia,  there should not be single person living in extreme poverty - Narek  Karapetyan 

ArmInfo. Within six months of the "Strong Armenia" party coming to power in Armenia, there should not be a single person living in extreme poverty. This was stated by  party council member Narek Karapetyan during a working visit to the  Shirak region. Representatives of the political force created by  Samvel Karapetyan visited the cities of Gyumri and Artik.

Speaking about the Artik community, Karapetyan noted that this  community, with a population of approximately 50,000, was once an  industrial center, and when people in Armenia talk about Artik, they  imagine it as a center for building materials and raw materials.  "Today, if we go through each community, we'll see that a significant  number of men have left Armenia. The situation is the same here, the  same in northern Shirak, the same in Gegharkunik, the same in my home  community. You're leaving the community and moving away because  there's no work here," the party representative noted, adding that  the reason is the lack of jobs.

"Who is the person who should lead Armenia today? It's a person like  us, like you, who once went abroad to work, achieved success, but  whose memories remained, who remembered his homeland and his country,  and, having achieved success, always supported his homeland," noted  Narek Karapetyan, touching on Samvel Karapetyan's programs that will  bring change to the country.

In his speech at a meeting with supporters in Gyumri, Karapetyan  touched on the problems existing in the Shirak region and the city of  Gyumri. He noted that not only is Shirak one of the poorest regions  in Armenia, but also that since the change of government in 2018, the  poverty rate in the region has increased, with every second child  living in poverty.

"Over the past few years, the Republic of Armenia has taken out a  loan of $8 billion. This government has imposed a debt of $10,000 on  every family. If even one percent of this amount had been spent on  Gyumri, there would not be a single homeless person in Gyumri today,"  the representative of the political party noted.

Narek Karapetyan then presented the programs proposed by Strong  Armenia Party Chairman Samvel Karapetyan. Specifically, speaking  about the program to overcome extreme poverty, he noted that their  political party is creating a state fund to overcome extreme poverty.  He recalled that they announced the creation of this fund three days  ago in the presence of Samvel Karapetyan. "Part of the funds for this  fund comes from the state, and the rest is contributed by influential  Armenians from around the world. Families living in extreme poverty,  a significant portion of whom live in Gyumri-a family of five-will  begin receiving 150,000 drams per month so that, while working, they  can at least provide for their children's education and address  health issues. This is the first major change we want to implement.  Within six months, there should not be a single person living in  extreme poverty in Armenia," said Narek Karapetyan.  Sharing Gyumri's  vision and development directions, Narek Karapetyan noted that, given  the city's historical and cultural heritage, Gyumri has the potential  to become one of the most sought-after tourist destinations. He also  touched on the successes of Gyumri residents in sports.