The leader of United Labor Party of Armenia takes President Serzh Sargsyan’s offer to send Armenian rescuers to assist Turkey after Oct 23 quake in its stride.

“Despite differences on a number of issues, in emergency situations, a country has to help its neighbor out. And other problems can still be discussed among the countries’ authorities,” Gurgen Arsenyan told a news conference in Yerevan.

At least 217 were killed and more than 1,000 people injured when a powerful earthquake struck Turkey, collapsing dozens of buildings and pulling down phone and power lines in the southeast of the country, officials and witnesses said. More than 1,000 people are feared killed in the earthquake. Another magnitude 6.1 earthquake, which was the second to rock the country was registered about 20 km (12 miles) from the city of Van at the depth of some 10 km (6.2 miles).