ArmInfo. On April 28, RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan participated in a roundtable discussion titled "Armenian Science in the Global Scientific Space: Competitiveness, Scientific Excellence, and Implementation of Scientific Results in the Economy" at the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia.
As reported by the PM's office, Nikol Pashinyan, welcoming those present, expressed his gratitude for organizing the discussion. The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of such discussions in developing the Government's future policies aimed at developing the science sector. "I believe that having discussions on programs and implementing them is a necessary, but not sufficient condition, because there should be a regular exchange of ideas about developments and perceptions of the current state of the sector," the Prime Minister said, adding that this will also contribute to the refinement of those ideas. The Head of State noted that compared to 2017, with the results already recorded in 2025, science funding has increased by about 2.8 times, by 185 percent, and there has been a significant increase in salaries in the science sector, up to 300 percent.
"First, our thinking and language must change, and in this regard, I must also admit that in speeches, my ears perk up when it is said that the Government supports science. Here, a kind of space is created between the Government and science. We do not support science, the development of science is our policy. In other words, we do not see that here there is a state, a Government, and at some distance there is science, which we must support. The development of science is our policy, and this has a very concrete and tangible reason. We cannot imagine the development of the state without the development of science. And on the other hand, we cannot imagine the development of science without the development of education. But I also want to say that by the development of the state, we first of all mean the development of the economy," the head of state emphasized, adding that science and the scientific community should have a greater scope and presence in the development of policies. According to the Prime Minister, science is an economy, because the management of science, the proper management of funds allocated to science, and the perception of science as an economy are very important tools that solve many problems. Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the importance of the development of science in the context of not only preserving our identity, but also further developing it, and getting to know ourselves better.
According to the Prime Minister, one of our biggest challenges is to at least bridge all localized spheres and understand that we are dealing with a cycle, because in the Republic of Armenia there is no separate district, there is no separate village, as well as a separate sphere. "We do not imagine a separate sphere of science, let alone separate spheres in science. And it is very important that we unite our spheres, our country around one goal. And that goal is the Republic of Armenia, the development of our state. But the state, as I have had the opportunity to say, to share our ideas, is on the one hand both a goal and a means. It is a goal, by the very fact of its existence, a means, because the state is the only tool that will provide us with the best conditions to preserve and develop our identity, to ensure our security, freedom, well-being and happiness."
Summing up, Nikol Pashinyan noted: "Of course, a citizen of the Republic of Armenia must love his state, and this is a very important and key factor, but on the other hand, the Republic of Armenia must love its citizen, of all professions, including those engaged in scientific activities. And the policies that we pursue are an expression of our love, an expression of the love of the Republic of Armenia towards all people engaged in science."
