Parliamentarian: Armenia attaches great importance to using  opportunities of digital transformation

ArmInfo. The RA NA delegation to the Assembly takes part in the works of the Eastern Partnership  Parliamentary Assembly going on Brussels. 

As the press service of the Armenian Parliament reports, the member  of the NA delegation to the Assembly Tatevik Gasparyan gave a speech,  in which, in particular, she noted:

" Esteemed colleagues,

Today, we are discussing the important topic of digitalization and  access to social services and rights. Armenia considers it imperative  to harness the power of digital transformation to ensure equal  opportunities for all citizens in accessing essential services and  safeguarding their fundamental rights.  In this context, I am pleased  to highlight some recent advancements made in Armenia regarding  digitalization and access to social services as well as share my  thoughts on strengthening our cooperation with the European Union  (EU) and other countries in this field. In 2021, the Armenian  Government adopted the "Digitalization Strategy of Armenia , "  outlining key priorities for the next five years as a comprehensive  roadmap for digital transformation initiatives within the country.  This strategy serves as a blueprint for all activities related to  digitalization in Armenia.

Armenia's Digitalization Strategy aims to enhance public service  quality, boost efficiency and transparency within the administration  system, foster broadband and telecommunication infrastructures,  elevate private sector competitiveness, facilitate data-driven  decision making crucial for economic growth, and cultivate a  workforce proficient in digital skills. Armenia emphasizes the  delivery of citizen-focused, universally accessible, and  technology-driven public services through a single online platform.

The European Union supports the digitalization agenda of Armenia in  the sphere of migration through the project "European Union Impact  for Armenia: Strengthening Migration Management Capacities in Support  of Government Reform Agenda in Line with CEPA".

In September 2023 when the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh were  forcibly displaced, Armenia was faced with the challenge of hosting  more than 100,000 persons. While the forcibly displaced were still in  the Lachin Corridor waiting in kilometers-long lines to reach  Armenia, the Government had already set up an online platform for  people to register on and to communicate their emergency needs, such  as shelter, clothing, food and medicine. 

Reception points with social service workers and volunteers were set  up to assist those forcibly displaced that could not use the online  platform themselves. In the following months, the Government set up  additional digital tools for the forcibly displaced people to now  access all of the integration services online. This was indeed a time  when the state institutional capacities, including those of providing  fast digitalized services, passed a tough test.

Of course, establishing cross-border collaboration platforms would be  of utmost importance in order to facilitate knowledge sharing,  resource pooling, and joint project implementation among social  service providers within Armenia, across the Eastern Partnership  countries and with the European Union. This would enable us to  collectively address common challenges and leverage synergies for  greater impact.

By working together on these fronts, we can create a more inclusive,  efficient, and accessible social service delivery system across our  geographies that leverages the power of digitalization for the  benefit of all citizens.  Thank you ," the MP said.