ASHTARAK, NOVEMBER 10, NOYAN TAPAN. Implementation of the pilot projects in Ashtarak, Goris and Gyumri is the most important component of the regional program on keeping cultural and natural heritage, government of historic cities and development and government of institutional properties in South Caucasus having been implemented since 2003. Those will become models for implementation of similar processes of city building restoration in other cities of Armenia. Sargis Tovmasian, the Chief Advisor of the RA Urban Development Minister stated about it during the seminar-consultation entitled "Restoration of Architectural and Natural Heritage in City Building Policy: Armenia" started in Ashtarak on November 9. In his words, the goal of the program being implemented with the assistance of the Council of Europe (CE) is to assist state government and local self-government bodies in the affair of re-development of historic environments of cities, introduction of new methods of government as well as working out of city building restoration programs corresponding to the European standards and their implementation. The pilot projects being implemented in the mentioned cities will serve increase of the role of local initiatives, implementation of middle and long-term programs addressed to increase the population's living standards with the help of creating new preconditions for development of tourism, promoting investment activeness. Mikhael de Thyse, the head of the Technical Cooperation and Field Action Unit, DGIV of the Council of Europe, expressed such viewpoint. In his words, results of the studies being implemented in the mentioned cities by the CE experts will be summed up during the two-day seminar. Based on these results, consultations will be held for future development of other similar cities of Armenia.

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