Advisory group meeting

Feb 21 - Feb 21

On February 21, 2025, the SALAR International “DeaLog” program convened an advisory group meeting with the participation of partners (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia, Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia, Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Armenia, Standing Committee on Territorial Administration, Local Self-Government, Agriculture and Environmental Protection of the National Assembly, Embassy of Sweden).

Ryan Knox, Executive Director of SALAR International, thanked the partners for participating in the 2nd Advisory Group meeting.

The Advisory Group members discussed the current status of the “DeaLog” program, the implemented activities, and issues related to the implementation of agreements reached with partners.

The participants addressed the multifaceted issues on the decentralization agenda, exchanged developments and information since the previous meeting in this format, reaffirmed their mutual commitment to advancing decentralization and local government reforms, and shared some concerns regarding various components of the process. All parties agreed that the 2nd Annual Community Forum, which took place on February 20, 2019, was held at a high level and is an effective platform for developing dialogue between communities and the government.

The representative of the Swedish Embassy presented Sweden’s official position in the context of decentralization in Armenia, noting that SALAR International is a reliable and stable partner for the Armenian government and communities and has a large and decisive role in promoting reforms. The Embassy also provided information on Sweden’s foreign policy priorities and challenges.

At the end of the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR), SALAR International, and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia.