Eastern Partnership Countries youth policy support project launched

PanARMENIAN.Net - The EU financed Eastern Partnership Youth Regional Unit (EPYRU) successfully concluded its two-day opening conference in Kyiv.

Over sixty delegates from all countries of the EU’s Eastern Partnership (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine) attended, including representatives of governments, statistical and research institutions, and youth-oriented NGOs. Armenian delegation included Deputy Minister of Youth and Sport Affairs Arsen Karamyan, Director of Youth Events Holding Center SNCO Davit Hayrapetyan, the Head of Legal Department of Ministry of Education and Science Vahe Baveyan, the representative of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs Anahit Karapetyan, the representative of the Ministry of Health Kristine Mnatsakanyan, CEO at IPSC - Institute for Political and Sociological Consulting Hovhannes Grigoryan and the Program Manager of Federation of Youth Clubs of Armenia (FYCA) Nelli Gishyan.

The conference consisted of two main sections: in the first part, the youth policy trends and issues of Eastern partnership member countries were presented. During the second part, the focus was on three main directions of the program, with the following issues discussed: inner-sector cooperation of state institutions in the youth field, youth policy creation and development of youth investigations’ institute, youth participation and mutually effective cooperation between state and public sector of youth policy.

“It was confirmed that the Armenian delegation will take part in the training courses within the scope of this project, and a regional forum on thematic orientation of youth participation will be held in Yerevan, October 2015,” Arsen Karamyan said. It was also determined to launch the Eastern Partnership Countries regional youth policy support program in the Republic of Armenia at the end of 2015.

In the second part of the program, where the group discussions were held, the representative of FYCA suggested to open regional youth centers in Armenia, via which it would be possible to develop youth work in Armenia. The above proposal was approved by the organizers and a tentative agreement was reached with the organizers, as a result of which the detailed project will be presented to EU supporters at the next meeting due in August 2013 in Georgia.