On June 30 members of RA NA Standing Committee on Health Care, Maternity and Childhood met with the representatives of UN Population Fund and European Union.

Project Manager of Delegation of the European Commission to Georgia Ms. Nino Kochishvili touched upon Well-disposed Health Service for Teenagers project and noted that the main aim of the service activity is the preservation of youth health and provision of appropriate conditions for teenagers’ healthy growth and development, as well as integration in the society. Within the project framework Ms. Kochishvili highlighted the cooperation of such South Caucasus countries as Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Project Manager of Delegation of the European Commission to Georgia was interested in deputies’ opinion concerning the project ending in September.

Welcoming the guests Deputy Chairman of NA Standing Committee on Health Care, Maternity and Childhood Mr. Mkrtich Minasyan noted that the problems concerning the young people are constantly at the focus of the committee. Mr. Minasyan informed the guests that it’s already 7 years that the Law on Youth is acting in Armenia. According to the committee chairperson, starting from February 2009 in Armenia, in the 8^th and 9^th forms 14 hours are yearly allotted to the study of “Healthy Way of Life” course. The course is formed on the basis of academic hours of the subjects “Physical culture” and “Paramilitary training” of the corresponding educational sphere. Mr. Minasyan highlighted the regional project carried out for youth and hoped that it would have a continuous character.

NA deputy Mr. Karen Avagyan said that many projects for youth connected with healthy way of life and social insurance are carried out in Armenia.

Highlighting the healthy way of life NA deputy Mr. Armen Martirosyan finds that it must be propagated at an early age in elementary forms at school.

Technical Coordinator of Reproductive Health Initiative in the South Caucasus Mr. Levan Kobaladze said that in September, an Inter-Parliamentary regional forum will be held in Batumi within the framework of the project, in which representatives from Armenia should also take part.

During the meeting other issues of bilateral interest were also discussed.