Switalski: From now on lovers of active winter recreation will have  an alternative to the main ski resort in Armenia - Tsakhkadzor 

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.