Employees of Armenia’s AIDS Prevention Center protest outside government building

Panorama, Armenia
Feb 27 2020

A group of employees of the National Centre for AIDS Prevention of Armenia are staging a protest outside the government building.

The move comes after the Armenian government adopted a decision to merge the National Centre for AIDS Prevention SNCO at the Health Ministry with Nork Infection Clinical Hospital at a meeting on 30 January. Afterwards, the center’s employees addressed an open letter to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The employees demand a professional discussion on the matter, arguing the head of the government has been misinformed on the activity of the center.

“We want to present our concerns to the prime minister in detail. We are afraid that the problem had not been presented to him properly. That's why we have gathered here today,” one of the protesters said, asking the premier to meet them and listen to the opinion of the center’s experts.

They claim there are numerous issues, concerns and disagreements which need to be addressed during a discussion.

They dismiss the Health Ministry’s arguments on merging the AIDS Prevention Center with the hospital as ‘groundless’.

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS