Chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the session of the National Commission on Issues of Persons with Disabilities took place.

Before discussing the agenda, Nikol Pashinyan noted in his speech that the session is taking place on the eve of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. According to the Prime Minister, this is an important occasion to return to the agenda of issues of persons with disabilities, although it is an important priority for the Government. The Head of State noted that there are many reasons that do not allow for the desired progress to be recorded. “One of the reasons is that the infrastructures that have been formed in Armenia for decades were not designed with the logic of meeting the needs of persons with disabilities. And to be honest, it inevitably takes time to make any change,” said Nikol Pashinyan.

The Prime Minister spoke about the importance of fully using the potential of people with disabilities in the country's economic development, which also solves the problem of their involvement in ensuring the well-being of people with disabilities and their families. Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that this issue should be addressed from the education sector, since this is also one of the deep and strategic goals of inclusive education.

Summing up his speech, Nikol Pashinyan noted that the national commission is the platform that should ensure the completeness of the formulation of issues, as well as emphasizing that consistency and continuity are the most reliable and effective tools for solving problems.

During the session, the achievements, challenges and sectoral initiatives for the implementation of the rights of persons with disabilities in the fields of social protection, healthcare, education, high-tech industry, financial and banking services in 2023-2024 were presented.

The Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Narek Mkrtchyan, the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan, the Minister of High-Tech Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, the Deputy Minister of Health Artak Jumayan, and the Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank Hovhannes Khachatryan made reports on the work carried out in the above-mentioned areas.

A discussion was held on issues related to ensuring conditions for the social inclusion of persons with disabilities, as well as creating equal opportunities. The participants of the session presented their observations and suggestions on the above-mentioned topics.

Highlighting the need to move forward by solving small problems, as well as having a feasible plan, the Prime Minister instructed the heads of the concerned departments to carry out the work by inventorying the existing problems in the sector and prioritizing those possible to solve in the short-term period.