YEREVAN — Over 160,000 people participated in Vardavar celebrations across the country, according to the Ministry of Interior.
The data is based on calculations from most active public areas.
The ministry said that police and rescue service personnel were on high alert throughout the day to ensure safety and security. Most large-scale celebrations took place in Yerevan and Gyumri, as well as in the provinces of Gegharkunik, Tavush, and Kotayk.
“The presence of 160,000 people in public spaces, including over 50,000 just on the shores of Lake Sevan, is no doubt partly due to the reforms implemented by our Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Never before has the Police had such widespread presence across the entire Republic as it does now, thanks to the introduction of the Patrol Police. This includes the Water Patrol Service operating on and around Lake Sevan—a service unprecedented in the history of the Republic of Armenia.
Families totaling 160,000 people went out to celebrate Vardavar in public places, with greater confidence that those who live by a criminal mentality no longer hold dominant influence in our country and cannot disrupt the positive atmosphere.
In this context, the invisible but critical role of the National Security Service (NSS) in ensuring public safety is also worth highlighting.
And here is the result: 160,000 people, including foreign visitors, and not a single serious violation of public order.
P.S. Let’s also add the improved presence of the Rescue Service on the beaches of Lake Sevan. Unfortunately, there were two tragic drowning incidents, one in Lori Province and the other in Ararat Province, both occurring in areas not designated for swimming”. PM Nikol Pahinyan said in a facebook post.
