RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Vahram Dumanyan received today the UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia Lila Pieters Yahia. The meeting was also attended by ESCS Deputy Minister Arthur Martirosyan.

Vahram Dumanyan congratulated Lila Pieters Yahia on assuming the post of UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia and wished her fruitful work. The Minister highlighted the importance and highly appreciated the joint programs implemented in Armenia with the assistance of the United Nations and cooperation with the ESCS Ministry including the cooperation in the field of education, youth, and culture in the context of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Vahram Dumanyan emphasized the cooperation with the United Nations Children's Fund to implement comprehensive reforms in the field of early childhood development and general education, as well as with the World Food Program in the field of providing school food.

The Minister also highly appreciated the expert assistance provided by the UN Office in Armenia and specifically UNICEF within the framework of the development of the draft of the "State Program for the Education Development until 2030", presenting the main goals and objectives of the strategy.

Vahram Dumanyan also touched upon the issue of strengthening the education-labor market ties in the context of the development of vocational education. The Minister informed that this year for the first time an attempt was made to review the policy of allocation of tuition-free places of the universities by specialties, in this regard, attaching importance to an active dialogue with the Ministries of Economy and Labor and Social Affairs.

UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia Lila Pieters Yahia, in her turn, noted that the ESCS Ministry has entered a stage of large-scale reforms, emphasizing that no development is possible without education, that education is the core of any country's development. She especially emphasized the need for reforms in early childhood development and VET sectors as well as the cooperation with the private sector to raise the attractiveness of the VET. Lila Pieters Yahia stressed that the UN Office and its structures in Armenia are ready to contribute to the effective implementation of reforms.

Touching upon the issue of cultural heritage, Vahram Dumanyan drew the attention of the UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia to the dangers threatening the Armenian cultural heritage in the territories controlled by Azerbaijan. The Minister expressed hope that with the assistance of UNESCO, it will be possible to ensure the inviolability of this heritage, as these are values of universal significance.

At the end of the meeting, Lila Pieters Yahia informed that this year the UN, on the initiative of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, is planning to hold an education summit to develop a global education strategy, with the expectation that UN member states will increase the share of education in their GDPs.

Other issues of mutual interest were also considered at the meeting.