Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended the launch ceremony of the Kotayk and Gegharkunik regional departments of the Ministry of Environment’s Eco-Patrol Service in Hrazdan.

Representatives of the legislative and executive brodies, regional representatives of the executive body, and other guests also participated in the event.

Nikol Pashinyan made a speech and congratulated those present on the launch of the Eco-Patrol Service’s the Kotayk and Gegharkunik regional departments. The Prime Minister recalled that the Eco-Patrol Service is already operating in four regions, which is an important event and change.

According to Nikol Pashinyan, it reflects the country’s strategy to be more attentive and caring towards nature and the environment. “Today, the world is experiencing global climate change, and we also see these changes and anomalies,” the Prime Minister said, emphasizing that nature should be the subject of special care.

The Prime Minister recalled that in difficult and critical times, nature and forests have been of vital importance and have served our state and our people in the conditions of the socio-economic crisis. “Now is the time for us to return our debt to our nature, our forests. I also want to consider the issue from the logic of the COP17 biodiversity summit and our country presiding over COP 17 in general, because forests are the environment and our attitude towards it ultimately creates or cuts the conditions in which biodiversity occurs.”

Summing up, the Prime Minister once again congratulated on the start of work of the next subdivision: “In any state service, including newly launched services, the good conduct of our servicemen is of particular importance to us. This should always be in the center of our attention, because new equipment, new cars, new problems, new content, for us it also means a new psychology of service, a new approach to service and a new awareness of what is happening and for what.”

Nikol Pashinyan wished the eco-patrols a successful service and hoped that it will be carried out at a high level of good conduct and professionalism, preventing violations of the law.

Minister of Environment Hambardzum Matevosyan and Head of the Eco-Patrol Service of the Ministry of Environment Vladimir Kirakosyan also made speeches.

Next, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia toured the building of the Hrazdan precinct of the Kotayk and Gegharkunik regional departments of the eco-patrol service, and got acquainted with the work carried out. It was noted that with the launch of the Kotayk and Gegharkunik regional department of the Eco-Patrol Service, the protection of state forests, forest lands and specially protected areas of nature in the Kotayk and Gegharkunik regions and the implementation of fire safety control in these areas will be ensured in a round-the-clock (24/7) regime. It was also presented that 127 eco-patrol employees were appointed to positions as a result of a competition in accordance with the procedure established by the Law "On Eco-Patrol Service". Nikol Pashinyan also got acquainted with the new technically equipped service vehicles.