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On February 7, the draft law on Ratifying the Agreement on the RA Participation in the “Horizon Europe” Framework Program for Research and Innovation between the Republic of Armenia and the European Union was debated in the NA Standing Committee on European Integration. The agreement was signed on November 12, 2021 in Brussels. The participation of Armenia in the program will contribute to the scientific groups operating in the scientific organizations and universities to become a direct participant in world-class scientific researches.

As the RA Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Karen Trchunyan has presented, the ratification of the agreement will ensure the continuity of the process of integration of the scientific system of the Republic of Armenia into the European research area. According to him, the latter stems from the necessity of the association of the European framework programs envisaged in the Development of Favorable Infrastructures for Competitive Scientific Activity of the Science section of the 2021-2026 program of the RA Government and to ensure the implementation of the events envisaged to promote the active participation of Armenia in those programs. Karen Trchunyan informed that in 2021, the Scientific and Innovation Partnership Assistance Center was reopened. The aim of the center is to provide information and consultations to facilitate the participation of the beneficiaries in the program. The speaker provided clarifications related to the criteria for the participation in the program, as well as the planned financial allocations.

The Committee endorsed the draft law.

The RA-EU agenda items were also debated at the sitting with the extra-parliamentary concerned forces.

The Chairman of the European Party of Armenia Tigran Khzmalyan has noted that their aim is to be included and support the works of the Committee. The party has business relations with a number of European parties, including the Renew Europe pro-European group. Tigran Khzmalyan presented their experience of cooperation with those parties and touched upon the vision of the development of the Armenia-EU relations. He has informed that on February 8, issues on the EU-Azerbaijan agreement will be discussed at the online meeting with the participants of Renew Europe.

“We will demand that any political, economic, diplomatic and cultural agreement between the EU, the Council of Europe and Azerbaijan will not be discussed and accepted until Armenian prisoners of war have not been returned.” He proposed to present an opinion agreed with the Committee on this issue, the Committee was not against it.