Representatives from Armenia, Moldova, Ukraine, Albania, North  Macedonia, and Germany holding conference in Yerevan 

ArmInfo. A three-day conference, "Parliament for All," is taking place at the National Assembly of Armenia. Representatives from the parliamentary staffs of Armenia, Moldova, Ukraine, Albania, North Macedonia, and Germany are  participating.

As reported by the NA press service, David Arakelyan, Chief of Staff  and Secretary General of the National Assembly of the Republic of  Armenia, welcomed the participants and emphasized the importance of  holding the conference. "I would like to express my gratitude to our  partners, without whom this event would not have been possible. We  are grateful to the UNDP FORSETI program for its long-term and  ongoing support in developing parliamentary democracy. We are  grateful to the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and  Development (BMZ) and the German International Cooperation Agency  (GIZ) for their effective cooperation and support. We thank the OECD  SIGMA program for their invaluable professional and expert support in  the field of public administration reform. We have gathered here  today not only to share our individual experiences but also to learn  from each other. Democracy is an ongoing process; it does not stand  still and always requires new approaches and open dialogue with  citizens.  Conferences such as these are an excellent platform for  mutual development. We hope that such discussions will become a  permanent, stable platform where parliaments from different countries  will regularly exchange experiences and ideas. This format can become  a collaborative network that will help us all improve our work for  the benefit of citizens," said David Arakelyan.

During the event, welcoming remarks were made by Natia Natsvlishvili,  UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia; Kathrin Buder-Pelz, Head of  the German Development Cooperation Programme in Armenia; Sandra Fuhr,  Project Manager of the Eastern Partnership Regional Public  Administration Reform Programme III (GIZ Project Manager); and Bagrat  Tunyan, Senior Advisor at the OECD/SIGMA and Head of the Strategic  Planning and Policy Development Professional Group. They presented  the programs their organizations are implementing jointly with the  National Assembly and emphasized the importance of holding the  conference and expanding cooperation.

Heghine Khachikyan, Deputy Chief of Staff of the National Assembly,  and Laura Antonyan, Head of the EU Public Affairs and Communications  Unit, presented to conference participants the programs and  initiatives implemented by parliamentary staff under the title  "Citizen Participation in Parliamentary Work:  Best Practices of the  National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia." "For us, parliament is  a platform for dialogue. And the theme we've chosen, 'Parliament for  All,' is truly important, especially for developing democratic  countries," said Heghine Khachikyan, adding that parliament strives  to develop tools that will not only allow citizens to understand  parliament but also help them get to know each other better.

Heghine Khachikyan touched on the work envisaged by RA legislation,  which ensures the open and transparent activities of the National  Assembly, contributes to increasing public trust in parliament, and  strengthens ties between parliament and society.

"The task of the Public Relations and Communications Department is  not only to convey information but also to engage people, ensure  participation, and strengthen and develop trust. All the presented  civic participation mechanisms are important, but their true  effectiveness depends on how accessible and understandable they are  for the public. Our role as a media team is to transform these  processes into simple, relevant, and engaging content. Engagement is  effective when it is understandable. Our task is to make these  processes simple, accessible, and relevant to people," said Laura  Antonyan, detailing the department's functions.

She emphasized that all National Assembly departments, including the  one she heads, are apolitical and ensure the smooth functioning of  parliament. "The Information Department is apolitical in the sense  that it covers the work of all factions currently represented in the  National Assembly," she noted.

The experience of Moldova and Ukraine was also presented as part of  the discussion.