ArmInfo. From now on lovers of active winter recreation will receive an alternative to the main ski resort in Armenia - Tsakhkadzor. On January 26, the opening of the Ski Center was held in the Ashotsk community of the Shirak region, which was implemented with also the assistance of the EU, which allocated 60 thousand euros to the project.
According to Deputy Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Gevorg Loretsyan, Ashotsk has all the prerequisites for becoming an international center for skiing in the region. Seven months a year, the territory of the community is covered with snow, which is one of the main conditions for the development of winter sports. He also noted that issues related to the opening of a branch of the Gyumri youth sports school on winter sports are on the agenda.
Skiing, according to the head of the Federation (ASF -Armenian Ski Federation) Arthur Harutyunyan, began developing in Armenia since the 1950s. In 1969, the first cable car was built in the resort village of Tsakhkadzor, which became the hallmark of the city, contributing to the fact that the resort has become the main center of active recreation for winter sports enthusiasts. Returning to the story, Harutyunyan stressed that a specialized school in Ashotsk had previously operated, which was closed for unknown reasons. Nevertheless, the head of the Federation expressed the hope that the Center would launch the development of skiing in Armenia, not excluding the creation on its territory of the corresponding Academy. "I hope that the opening of the Center will contribute to the popularization of winter mountain sports in other northern regions of the country," said Harutyunyan.
The EU Ambassador to Armenia, Piotr Switalski, also made a welcoming speech. "We are glad to become part of a possibly small, but very important project," he said. First of all, the head of the European mission noted that one of the main goals of the project is the EU's intention to stimulate a healthy lifestyle among Armenian families. Secondly, the opening of the Center is only part of the development program of the northern communities of Armenia, which is being implemented jointly with the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development.
<Ashotsk is covered with snow for most of the year. But we believe that snow can be turned into a profitable asset. Thus, turn Ashotsk into the winter capital of Armenia, and give a new life to this region. We wanted to show that through small investments it is possible to make significant positive changes. After all, a great journey always begins with a small step, "the Ambassador emphasized. He noted that the resort in Ashotsk, in comparison with the high-mountain ski resorts of Armenia, will be available to wider segments of the population. In the future, according to Switalski, a 50 km long ski track will operate on the territory of the Center. At the same time, the Ambassador recalled that other communities in the northern regions of Armenia are planning to launch other programs related to open-air tourism. In this regard, he reported on the meeting held in Gyumri on the eve, during which proposals on this matter were presented. The best projects, according to Switalski, will be implemented with the support of the EU, which in total is ready to invest about 10 million euros. <The EU began to make efforts for the development of communities in Armenia quite a long time ago. Because we are confident that one of the structural problems of the country remains a big difference between "rich" Yerevan and "poor" regions, "the Ambassador said, recalling that 2 years together with Vache Tereterian (Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Development of the Republic of Armenia) for the regions that launched the broader EU involvement in the development process of the regions of Armenia. "The opening of the ski sport center is a continuation of this work, during which we intend to ensure the balanced development of all regions of Armenia on a par with the capital," he concluded. It should be noted that the program to open the Skiing Center was implemented by the Union of Community Financiers, the Union of Communities of Armenia and the Association of Local Democracy Agencies with the financial support of the EU.