Issues Related to Land Reform Discussed

During a meeting held today at the government office, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan discussed issues related to the implementation of land reform in Armenia.

Deputy Minister of Economy Artak Kamalyan presented an analysis on the current situation in the field of agricultural land cultivation in Armenia. He noted that according to studies, a certain volume of agricultural land is not being cultivated by farmers for various reasons (fragmentation of parcels, financial issues, lack of irrigation water, low profitability, absence of agricultural machinery, etc.), and the measures to be implemented within the framework of the reform will aim to increase the efficiency of agricultural land use and the development of the land market.

It is proposed to address the issue of unused lands through a phased approach during 2020-2022 by implementing legislative changes in the Land Code, mapping lands, creating institutional, legal, and infrastructural opportunities and platforms, and clearly defining accountability mechanisms in case of non-use.

A lively exchange of ideas took place on the subject, discussing several issues related to the effective implementation of land reform, with participants presenting various suggestions.

The Prime Minister noted that the strategic objective of land reform stems from the development strategy of the economy, namely, changing the structure of the economy and transitioning from an agrarian country to an industrial one. The head of the government instructed the Deputy Minister of Economy to summarize the suggestions made during the discussion, refine the reform concept, and discuss the details of starting a pilot program for land reform in one of the regions in collaboration with responsible agencies.