Now is the moment for decentralisation

Republic of Armenia

Form of government: parliamentary
Structure: unitary
Area: 29,743 sq. km.
Population: 2.99 million people (as of January 1, 2024)
GDP per capita in Armenia: 8,280 USD (2023)
GDP in Armenia: 24.218 billion USD (2023)

Number of regions: 10
Number of communities: 70, of which 63 are united communities, 5 are ununited, inhabited by national minorities, 2 largest cities: Yerevan and Gyumri
The largest region by area: Gegharkunik (5349 sq. km)
The smallest region by area: Vayots Dzor (2308 sq. km)
The largest community by population: Yerevan (1.13 million people, the capital)

The smallest community by population: Metsadzor (294 people)
The largest community by area: Sisian (1719 sq. km)
Community budget revenues: 1.19% of GDP, 0.09% of the consolidated budget (Ministry of Territorial Development of the Republic of Armenia)
Community budget expenditures: 0.12% of GDP, 7.54% of the consolidated budget (Law of the Republic of Armenia on the State Budget of the Republic of Armenia for 2023)

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Community News

Kapan Community Day celebrated with great pomp

Goris celebrated City Day

The Hungarian city of Szekesfehervar and the community of Vagharshapat became sister cities

The "Vanadzor Mayor's Cup" open swimming championship was held

International Youth Day was celebrated in the Artashat community

Gyumri Central Library replenished with 500 new books

A large-scale cultural program will be held in Abovyan as part of the annual "Fresco" International Festival.

A meeting of the Gavar community council was held

Jermuk community a favorite vacation spot for tourists

Knowledge Day in Ijevan community

A new cultural breath in Stepanavan

Aparan and Kaspichan communities signed a memorandum of cooperation and friendly relations

Delegations from the sister cities of Artashat participated in the celebration dedicated to the city's 2214th anniversary.

Yerevan and Naples signed an agreement on friendship and cooperation

Results of the cooperation between the kapan-Saint-Etien sister cities, this time in the field of healthcare

Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan spoke at the National Assembly about the analysis of fiscal decentralization gaps

A new park has opened in the Keti settlement of Akhuryan community

Meghri celebrated the city's day

Berd community honors those dedicated to the development of the local self-government system

International Student Solidarity Day celebrated in Masis

New prospects for cooperation between the communities of Rustavi and Ijevan

Young people explore the field of local government

At the invitation of Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan, a delegation led by the Mayor of Rostov-on-Don is currently in Yerevan

Yerevan and Riga develop cooperation

Ani and Novi Pazar - sister cities

The swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected head of Vagharshapat community took place

The official delegation of the Arkhangelsk region was in the Jermuk community.

French Cultural Center to open in Kajaran, Syunik․

Aparan is preparing to welcome the New Year

Head of Yeghegnadzor community David Harutyunyan is the laureate of the "Quality Mark-2025" award

Mayor of the Ashtarak city met with the community's active youth

New Year's surprise for the children of Masis

Issues related to the implementation of subsidy programs and preparing the community for the New Year were discussed at the Byureghavan municipality

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Greece Christos Sofianopoulos visited the Noyemberyan community

The lights of the main Christmas tree of the Artik community were lit

Kindergartens in Tatev community are preparing for the New Year

A blessing ceremony for new recruits took place at the Noravank Monastery in Areni community.

The New Year mood has begun in the Armavir community

Community leader Aharon Khachatryan prepared a New Year's gift for the children of the Vardenis community.

An open public discussion was organized on the 2025-2030 strategic plan for the development of the Parakar community

The head of the Amasia community was awarded the National Rating Commemorative Medal

Spitak Community Leader Kajayr Nikoghosyan Recognized as a Skilled Administrator

The Talin community's New Year's Eve celebration was magical.

New Year celebration announced in Sevan community

A New Year festive program was organized for children at the initiative of the Mayor of Yerevan and the head of the administrative district.

The Kapan community is concluding 2025 by delivering 16 new playgrounds to its residents.

New Year's miracle in the border settlements of Goris: about 300 children received the gift of their dreams

Sisian community has new trash cans: initiative of community leader Hovsep Arakelyan

2025 was a year of sporting victories and cultural development for the Nairi community

Ahead of the New Year, Abovyan honored the memory of the homeland's devoted heroes

The head of Stepanavan community congratulated the community's night shift service employees on the New Year

The first military conscription of 2026 was held in the Martuni community of Gegharkunik region

Main Events

The topic of fiscal decentralization was discussed with financial experts.

19-06-2025 - 19-06-2025

On June 19, 2025, at the office of the Salar International “DeaLog” project, our team and international experts met with experts in the financial and economic sphere and representatives of CSOs in Armenia. Among them were former Minister of Finance and Economy Levon Barkhudaryan and former Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration Armen Khudaverdyan. An in-depth professional discussion took place on the topic of fiscal decentralisation.

Visit to Vedi community

18-06-2025 - 18-06-2025

Within the framework of the “Support to Decentralisation and Local Governance Reforms in Armenia” (DiaLoG) project, international experts Elton Stefan and Kelmend Zajazi visited Ararat region and met with the Head of Vedi Community, Garik Sargsyan.

The meeting was also attended by the DeLoG projects Armenian team and Shane Quinn, the program lead based in Sweden.

The discussion with Mr. Sargsyan focused on issues related to fiscal decentralisation.

Meeting with Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan

18-06-2025 - 18-06-2025

As part of the study on fiscal decentralization in Armenia, international experts Elton Staffan and Kelmend Zayazy, accompanied by the DeaLog project team, continue their meetings with key stakeholders in the field.

On June 18, the delegation visited Yerevan Municipality and met with Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan.

The meeting discussed the mechanisms for forming the Yerevan community budget, programs implemented in the city, and issues related to the Union of Communities.

Discussion at the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure

16-06-2025 - 16-06-2025

International experts Elton Staffa and Kelmend Zayazi, who arrived in Armenia within the framework of the “Support to Decentralisation and Local Self-Government Reforms in Armenia” (DeaLog) project, met with the heads and representatives of the responsible departments of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia.

The meeting was attended by the Armenian team of the project and the project manager in Sweden, Shane Quinn.

Discussion with communities

16-10-2025

On October 15, the SALAR International team in Armenia brought together representatives of Armenian communities at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Yerevan to discuss the fiscal decentralization agenda.

Articles

From February 2 to 5, a high-level study visit took place in Stockholm, Sweden.

The visit was attended by Armen Harutyunyan, Executive Director of the Union of Communities of Armenia, and Clas Waldenström, a senior representative of the management of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

2026 Local Self-Government Elections

The Central Electoral Commission has set the voting dates for the 2026 local self-government elections as September 27, October 25, and November 29.

Training programs for local government bodies and community servants completed

28 training groups were organised for community servants. 690 community servants from all regions of the Republic of Armenia were trained.

The main provisions of the new draft law "On Local Self-Government"

For the first time, an attempt has been made to define by law the legal status and fundamental principles of operation of the Union of Communities of Armenia.

Communities for fiscal decentralisation

On October 15, the SALAR International Armenia team brought together representatives of Armenian communities at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Yerevan to discuss the financial decentralization agenda.