They are mainly struggling with the consequences of natural disasters and emergency situations in Armenia,  but most of them, if appropriate preventive measures are implemented, may have less impact and cause less damage, said the Minister of Emergency Situations of Armenia Felix Tsolakyan on Friday.

An assessment of such risks, their maximum possible mitigation, according to him, should become the cornerstone of the country's development.

"The country's development processes should not increase the threat of existing risks. Development, in turn, should not be unstable and defenseless against existing risks," Tsolakyan noted. He added that in order to achieve this goal, a serious reform of the legislative framework should be carried out, which, in his opinion, should be the main efforts of the Government and parliament.

He highlighted the importance of cooperation between society and all state structures on the issue of joint struggle and counteraction to disaster threats. This cooperation, according to the minister, should be transparent and informed. The minister considers it important to inform citizens and conduct large-scale educational work among the population in order to increase the level of citizens' awareness and knowledge on this topic, which, in his opinion, will increase the effectiveness of the implementation of preventive measures that contribute to mitigating the effects of natural disasters.