Armenian Delegation Participates in Discussions on Armenia-EU Partnership Agenda in Brussels
On October 14-15, 2024, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of the Republic of Armenia, Artur Martirosyan, and Chairman of the Higher Education and Science Committee, Sargis Hayotsyan, participated in a working meeting in Brussels dedicated to the discussion of a new project under the Armenia-EU Partnership Agenda's "People-to-People Contacts" platform and the third session of the EU-Armenia Joint Committee under the agreement on Armenia's participation in the EU's "Horizon Europe" research and innovation framework program.
The Armenian delegation included representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and the RA Representation in the European Union, as well as the Head of the International Cooperation Department of the Higher Education and Science Committee, Mariana Sargsyan, and the Director of the Scientific and Innovation Partnership Assistance Center, Tigran Arzumanyan.
Discussion of the New Project within the Armenia-EU Partnership Agenda
The Armenia-EU "People-to-People Contacts" subcommittee meeting was chaired by Julien Bourtembourg, Deputy Head of the Department for Georgia, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Belarus at the European External Action Service.
During the session, the parties discussed new target directions for cooperation within the platform and several key issues, including support for the development of policies in research and innovation, development of infrastructures in these fields, steps to enhance Armenia's active participation and integration into the European Research Area, Armenia's integration into EU platforms such as Erasmus+, Creative Europe, and youth and media programs, as well as cooperation in the development of sports policies in Armenia and the exchange of best practices.
Artur Martirosyan emphasized the importance of Armenia's participation in these EU platforms, both in the short and long term, and reaffirmed the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports' commitment to working on ongoing reforms, using the best opportunities offered by these platforms.
Regarding the events planned within the People-to-People Contacts platform, Artur Martirosyan noted that their implementation would further deepen multilateral cooperation with the European Union.
The importance of the EU's possible advisory and technical support was also highlighted in this regard. The parties agreed to finalize the new project as soon as possible, taking into account the proposals made during the discussion.
A working meeting was also held with representatives of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport, and Culture, Directorate-General for Communication Networks, Content and Technology, and Antoaneta Angelova-Krasteva, Director for Innovation, Digital Education, and International Cooperation at the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport, and Culture. During these meetings, several issues related to Armenia's participation in the Creative Europe and EU Sport programs, as well as the Erasmus+ program in higher education, were discussed.
Ongoing Cooperation within the "Horizon Europe" Program
On October 15, 2024, the third session of the EU-Armenia Joint Committee was held under the agreement on Armenia's participation in the EU's "Horizon Europe" research and innovation framework program.
During the session, various issues related to the integration of the Armenian scientific community into the European Research Area were discussed, including the 2023-2024 statistical data on Armenia's participation in the Horizon Europe program, possible measures to promote Armenia's participation in the program with EU support, the progress of Armenia's financial commitments, programs being implemented in the field of science to integrate Armenia into the European Research Area, including the progress of the Academic City project, the activities carried out by the Scientific and Innovation Partnership Assistance Center to promote Armenia's participation in the Horizon Europe program, and EU-Armenia cooperation within the Eastern Partnership's informal working group on research and innovation.
In 2024, the number of applications submitted under the Horizon Europe program has also increased. The number of signed grant agreements is 16, with 3 more grant agreements in progress. Both sides noted the positive trend in Armenia's participation in the program and stressed the need for continued implementation of targeted measures to further enhance participation.
Sargis Hayotsyan, Chairman of the Higher Education and Science Committee, emphasized the importance of the advisory and technical support tools provided by the EU for increasing participation in the program and highlighted the steps that will be taken to make the most of the opportunities offered by the program.
The importance of the grant agreement signed between the Higher Education and Science Committee and the EU Delegation in Armenia, which provides a 50% reimbursement of the annual membership fee each year, was also emphasized. This significantly contributes to ensuring the continuity of Armenia's participation in the Horizon Europe program and allows more resources to be directed toward infrastructure development.
"This support is important as it allows us to direct our resources towards the implementation of reforms aimed at modernizing our national research ecosystem," noted Sargis Hayotsyan.
As a result of the session, operational conclusions were adopted, which the parties will continue working on in 2025.