Extraordinary Meeting of the Council on National Minorities Held Under the Leadership of Araik Harutyunyan

The extraordinary meeting of the Council on National Minorities was held today under the leadership of Araik Harutyunyan, Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister.

The discussion continued from the agenda of the previous meeting. In particular, the council members approved changes made to the council's operational regulations as a result of the discussions. The issue of organizing an event with funds allocated for joint programs, as per the council's decision dated March 5 of this year regarding the distribution of state support to civil society organizations of national minorities from the state budget of Armenia, was discussed and approved.

The Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister instructed that proposals regarding the organization of the event should be presented during the next meeting, aimed at making it more interesting and effective.

As part of the agenda, Vache Terteryan, Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures and a council member, reported on the financial support allocated from the state budget to communities of national minorities for 2024 and the socio-economic programs being implemented. It was noted that communities that did not participate in the community consolidation program have been involved in subsidy programs since 2021. In 2021, 6 programs were implemented; in 2022, 7 programs; in 2023, 9 programs; and 8 program applications have been submitted for 2024.

It was emphasized that due to the amendment in the Law on Financial Equalization, a dotation of 50 million drams is secured in the 2024 state budget for all these communities that have not participated in consolidation and have a small population.

In addition to the programs planned for 2024, there are also 3 major programs for which preparatory work has already begun by separate decisions, following the Prime Minister's instructions. Accordingly, design work is being conducted for the construction of a 3 km road segment connecting the Yezidi community of Ferik in the Armavir region with other communities in the region, which will cost around 150 million drams, for the reconstruction of the inter-community road in the Otevan neighborhood of the Metsiadzor community in the Aragatsotn region, which will cost about 100 million drams, and for the gasification works in the Shamir community, which will cost around 400 million drams.

Overall, a project worth approximately 1.8 billion drams has been implemented from 2021 to 2024, of which 914 million drams was co-financed by the state budget, 585 million drams by community co-financing, along with funds from other sources.

Araik Harutyunyan has emphasized the importance of regularly presenting such reports that summarize the programs implemented in communities inhabited by national minorities and in consolidated communities.

During the meeting, other issues raised by members of the council were also discussed. Araik Harutyunyan suggested that if there are urgent issues, they should be submitted to the relevant department, and in the following meetings, they will be included in the agenda and discussed based on priority.