1 / 37

On September 23, the opening ceremony of the NA Research Center was held in the National Assembly, where the RA NA President Ararat Mirzoyan, the UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia Shombi Sharp, the UNDP Resident Representative Dmitry Maryasin, the UK Chargé d'Affaires to Armenia a.i. Ambassador Helen Fazey, the Ambassador Designate of the Kingdom of Sweden to Armenia Patrick Svenson, the representatives of diplomatic corps and guests attended.

The goal of the Research Center of the National Assembly is ensuring more qualified researches and the development of analytical capabilities of the parliament.

Welcoming the attendees, the President of the National Assembly Ararat Mirzoyan has noted that the development of the research capabilities of all countries of the world is one of the most important preconditions of this institute, and in case of the National Assembly the existence of such Center is more important, taking into consideration the transition to the parliamentary system of government.

“That is why the creation of such Center in the National Assembly has been and is one of my priorities as Head of the National Assembly. We are committed to continue the efforts in the development of the Research Center, which will serve to the NA deputies and will help them to carry out the powers reserved to them by the Constitution at best,” the Speaker of the Parliament added.

The Ambassador of Sweden to RA Patrick Svenson has noted that as a continuity of democratic reforms, the development of the RA National Assembly capabilities is of prior importance for them after the parliamentary snap elections, and Sweden is proud of being the supporter of these reforms, which is also more strengthened by the continuous deepening of bilateral relations with the Parliament of Sweden.

In his turn the Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy to RA Christopher Smith has underlined that the United States are glad to continue the cooperation with the National Assembly of Armenia in boosting the democratic government. According to the Deputy Chief of Mission, this new Research and Training Center will promote the improvement of policymaking and the increase of the control, as well as will raise the accountability of the structure before the society. “Working together we can make the promise on democracy true,” the Deputy Chief of Mission said.

Welcoming the attendees, the UNDP Resident Representative Dmitry Maryasin has underscored that the Modern Parliament for a Modern Armenia (MAP) Project supports the development of the Research and Training Center in the framework of the general institutional reforms, and the creation of this Center shows how the legislative body of Armenia gets really changed, enhancing the accessibility of information, as well as ensuring independent and unbiased researches and analyses, which will be used while adopting public policies. “Our work is not over here, we support the National Assembly in establishing standards, the citizens in the process of decision making and actively involving in digital change,” the UNDP Resident Representative said.

Let us note that the Research Center was opened due to joint cooperation of the RA National Assembly, USAID and the UN Development Programme/UNDP the Modern Parliament for a Modern Armenia Project: the parliament modernized the Center, the USAID reequipped it, and in the framework of the UN Development Programme/UNDP the Modern Parliament for a Modern Armenia Project the universal concept of the operational models of the Center was developed.