The Russian-Armenian Center of Humanitarian Response (RACHR) was established based on the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Armenia dated May 19, 2015, signed by the Minister of Emergencies of the Russian Federation, V.A. Puchkov, and the Minister of Emergencies of the Republic of Armenia, A.G. Yeritsyan. An Agreement approving the Center’s Charter was also signed at the same time.
The legal basis for the establishment of the Center was the Agreement between the Governments of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia on Cooperation in the Field of Emergency Humanitarian Response, Prevention of Natural Disasters and Man-Made Accidents, and the Elimination of Their Consequences, dated August 17, 1994. The Center is an intergovernmental humanitarian non-profit organization with the rights of a legal entity.
RACHR was established to ensure humanitarian response to emergencies in Armenia and other countries. It is tasked with the following:
- participation in emergency prevention and response activities, including firefighting;
- provision of emergency humanitarian aid to populations affected by emergencies;
- implementation of joint projects and programs in the Republic of Armenia and third countries, including humanitarian demining projects and programs;
- training and advanced training of specialists in emergency prevention and response;
- testing and demonstration of modern fire and rescue equipment and technologies;
- performance of other tasks that do not conflict with the objectives of the Center.
To date, the Center has completed a number of successful operations to fulfill the orders of the Russian Government, providing humanitarian aid and eliminating the consequences of emergencies in Armenia, Syria, and Iran.
One of the Center’s priorities is to improve the qualifications of specialists in emergency response. The RACHR’s educational development strategy is currently based on three areas:
1) collaboration with academies and institutes of the Russian Ministry of Emergencies and professional training centers;
2) development of its own training programs designed for emergency response specialists from various countries, volunteers from international humanitarian organizations, and students;
3) provision of training and resources for self-training of specialists from the Center’s partner organizations.
As of 2025, more than 4,000 trainees participated in RACHR training programs.
RACHR is the regional training center of the International Civil Defense Organization (ICDO). As of 2025, the Center has trained five groups of foreign rescuers from 17 countries, totaling over 50 participants. RACHR is also a member of the ICDO Scientific and Educational Committee, which discusses, plans, and approves the training of ICDO delegates.
Our Center is actively involved in the public life of the Republic of Armenia, collaborating with public, religious, and veterans’ organizations, as well as schools and the media. Furthermore, RACHR instructors participate in industry exhibitions and scientific and practical conferences.
Today, RACHR is developing into a full-fledged international structure, helping to improve the skills of rescuers to all interested states in the Caucasus region, the Middle East, North Africa, and other countries.