ArmInfo. During a meeting with the delegation of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), led by Luke Fochtman, Bank's Deputy Country Director for Armenia, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs (Ministry of Internal Affairs) of Armenia Arpine Sarkisyan noted the importance of cooperation with ADB in the field of disaster risk management
According to the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia, in this vein, Sargsyan presented the Disaster Risk Management Strategy for 2023-2030 and the measures defined by the Action Plan for 2023-2026, approved by government decree on October 5, 2023.
As she said, with the approval of the new strategy, there was a shift from disaster risk reduction to disaster risk management, defining the powers of local actors and creating a new governance model. Sargsyan also emphasized the importance of the process of indexing possible seismic risk at the national level and work aimed at developing seismic safety standards based on them.
Regarding the ongoing and planned measures in this direction, the Deputy Minister emphasized the importance of reviewing the norms regulating the field of urban planning, taking into account current international standards and best practices.
Speaking about the activities of the interdepartmental working group headed by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Sargsyan noted the inclusiveness of its composition due to the involvement of representatives of all interested departments.
Members of the delegation presented the tasks and goals of the Development of a Financing Strategy for the Seismic Safety Improvement and Management of Public Infrastructure in Armenia project.
They touched upon the work carried out in the field of seismic safety in Armenia within the framework of the project, in particular, the reconstruction of 46 schools and the implementation of awareness-raising activities in communities.
An agreement was reached to create an ambitious and comprehensive strategic document in the field of seismic safety. The Ministry of Internal Affairs expressed its readiness to coordinate the process in this direction and ensure the implementation of strategic approaches with effective interdepartmental cooperation.
ADB has been in partnership with Armenia since 2005 and is one of the country's largest multilateral development partners. As of April 2024, the Bank has implemented numerous projects in Armenia worth $1.9 billion, which were aimed at developing transport, financial, energy, water, and other infrastructure.
