On October 10, RA Minister of Internal Affairs Vahe Ghazaryan met with the heads of delegations of the large-scale international command and staff exercise (HOPE FSX 2023) implemented within the framework of the "Comprehensive earthquake management in vulnerable areas of the South Caucasus through effective planning, response, and joint operations" program.

To welcome the attendees, Vahe Ghazaryan noted that the exercise, which brought together more than three hundred rescuers from seven countries, is essential for developing Armenia's capabilities in the fight against natural and artificial disasters.

The Minister highly appreciated the work of partner countries in organizing the exercise and expressed special thanks to the General Directorate of EU Population Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG-ECHO), population protection organizations, and state departments of the host countries: Georgia, France, Montenegro, Cyprus, Greece, as well as To the leadership team of the PPRD-3 program "Prevention, preparedness and response to natural, man-made disasters" in Eastern Partnership countries for cooperation.

Vahe Ghazaryan emphasized that daily voluntary preparation and high discipline are among the most critical factors of rescue work, through which it is possible to achieve the most effective operations, making the task of saving human lives the primary prerequisite.

The Minister wished the participants of the exercise practical work and expressed hope that the cooperation in the field of population protection will be continuous and complementary.