ArmInfo.The World Bank (WB) will provide technical assistance to bodies operating in the field of education, culture and sports through the relevant government agencies under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program.
This was stated by World Bank (WB) PPP Certification program project coordinator Elena Timusheva during a meeting with Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia Zhanna Andreasyan. Timusheva highly appreciated the assistance of the WB to government agencies, expressing her hope that further cooperation will be more effective and targeted. She noted that the main purpose of the mission is to consult with stakeholders to identify obstacles and challenges in PPP, assess demand, agree on next steps with the relevant department of the Ministry of Economy and other line ministries to promote and develop the capacity of PPP.
In turn, the Deputy Minister expressed her readiness to expand cooperation with international organizations. She noted the important role of the Armenian office of the World Bank in the process of implementing reforms in the field of education. In May this year, the Board of Directors of the World Bank approved a $25 million loan with a variable spread through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) for Armenia with a grace period of 14.5 years for additional financing of the "Improving Education" program. The government's share in the financing of the program will be $6.25 million. According to the WB report, the program will provide additional assistance to the government in preparing children for pre-school enrollment, improving the physical condition of educational resources in the field of general education, and improving the quality of higher education institutions.
Armenia has been a member of the World Bank since 1992 and a member of the International Development Association (IDA) since 1993. As of today, the WB has provided loans and grants to the country in the amount of about $ 2.5 billion.
