A regular Cabinet meeting took place today, chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The Government has defined the amount of state scholarships given to students studying in bachelor's and master's degrees in Armenia’s higher educational institutions or organizations and approved the list of professions (educational programs) of primary importance for the state.

The regulations provided by the decision are also aimed at creating attractive conditions for admission to professions that are considered important or priority for the state, taking into account the admission rates in these professions, as well as additional stimulating steps through high scholarships, in order to proportionally solve the issue of filling the most in-demand jobs. Based on the analyzes carried out in the field, including those provided by the Ministry of Economy, the important and priority professions for the state were defined. A scholarship of 70,000 AMD will be set for students majoring in these professions, and 77,000 AMD for study with excellence. After the decision comes into force, the students admitted to the university in the 2023-2024 academic year with the relevant educational programs of the profession included in the list will receive the scholarship defined by the decision. It is planned that in the 2023-2024 academic year, the number of students receiving scholarship in targeted specialties in the bachelor's educational program will be 58, and a maximum of 169 in the master's educational program.

By another decision, it is planned to ensure the regulation of the process of allocating student allowances, compensating tuition fees and establishing scholarships in state educational institutions implementing pre-vocational and (or) secondary vocational education programs, as well as the policy of the Armenian government, in particular, for the introduction of new approaches of scholarship provision.

Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the importance of the adopted decision and noted that discussions on this topic have begun within the framework of the formation of the education development strategy for the period until 2030. "I think we are making an important decision. In other words, we are replacing the policy of "giving something to everyone, which is nothing for each one" with the logic of more targeted spending. We concentrate the money we have and spend it more purposefully."

The Government has redistributed the state budget and made changes to one of the previously adopted decisions aimed at ensuring the implementation of the state support program for 2020-2023 in the direction of housing security for families with children. Accordingly, it is proposed to allocate 450 million AMD in order to provide financial support to around 600 beneficiaries applying in the third quarter of 2023.

The Government adopted a decision, by which it is planned to provide AMD 8,972,683,160 for the renovation of 81 km of roads and for the preparation of design documents.