RA Government presents 2026-3031 program 

ArmInfo. Discussions on the RA Government Program for 2026-2031 will begin at the session of the National Assembly of Armenia on August 24. RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will deliver the keynote address. A heated debate is expected.

ArmInfo has compiled the key points of the program. So:

1. Foreign Policy

The Armenian government will continue to pursue a balanced and  equitable foreign policy, which has proven effective in stabilizing  the external environment for the Republic of Armenia. To  institutionalize and strengthen peace, the government will continue  to work on the signing and ratification of the Agreement on the  Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations between Armenia and  Azerbaijan, continue efforts to delimit and demarcate the state  border with Azerbaijan, intensify contacts between civil society and  the business communities of Armenia and Azerbaijan, and promote the  development of bilateral trade. Work will also be carried out to  establish diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey, open the  Armenian-Turkish border and commission at least two modern  checkpoints, intensify and expand transport, energy, and digital  infrastructure, and facilitate bilateral and multilateral trade.  Maintaining an active political dialogue with Iran and expanding  trade and economic ties are among the priorities of bilateral  relations. Energy cooperation with Iran will continue to deepen,  border infrastructure will be developed, and communication routes  through Iran (North-South, Persian Gulf-Black Sea) will be expanded.

The consistent implementation of the Declaration on the Establishment  of a Strategic Partnership between Armenia and Georgia will continue,  creating new mutually beneficial opportunities for the development of  political, trade, economic, energy, and transport cooperation, as  well as regional and joint infrastructure projects. Sectoral  development and integration of strategic cooperation with the EU will  be continued, aimed at the full and effective implementation of the  Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, as well as at  aligning Armenia with European Union standards in the areas of  democracy and the rule of law, economics, finance, ecology, social  affairs, and other areas, based on the 2025 Law "On the Start of the  Accession Process of the Republic of Armenia to the European Union."  The Visa Liberalization Action Plan, aimed at liberalizing EU visas  for citizens of the Republic of Armenia, will be completed. Based on  the Charter on a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the  Republic of Armenia and the United States of America, the bilateral  partnership will further deepen for the benefit of both countries,  and cooperation will expand across a wide range of issues of mutual  priority. Sectoral cooperation with the United States will continue  based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the  Government of the United States of America and the Government of the  Republic of Armenia in August 2025 and the Charter of Comprehensive  Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Armenia and the United  States of America.

The TRIPP project will be implemented, at least in terms of the  operation of energy and railway infrastructure, with Armenia's  integration into major regional infrastructure projects. Cooperation  between Armenia and France will be elevated to a qualitatively new  level, particularly in the areas of political, economic, security,  cultural, educational, and decentralized partnership, building on the  Joint Declaration on the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership  signed on May 5, 2026, as the institutional and political foundation.  Dialogue with the Russian Federation will be continued, aimed at  mutually beneficial and multifaceted cooperation, with an emphasis on  a balanced foreign policy, as well as on the transformation,  development, and deepening of relations in the new context of peace  in the region. The consistent implementation of the agreements  reached following the meeting between the Prime Minister of Armenia  and the President of China on August 31, 2025, will continue, as will  efforts to develop cooperation in the areas outlined in the joint  statement on elevating Armenian-Chinese relations to a strategic  partnership and achieving tangible results. Active efforts will  continue to develop cooperation in areas of mutual interest,  including the economy, defense, transport, education and culture,  healthcare, information technology, and other areas, and to elevate  the partnership between Armenia and India to a new level. Established  strategic relations with the Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Germany,  Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Lithuania have  identified key areas of bilateral interest, further work in which is  important for Armenia's development. Efforts to expand the number and  geography of strategic partners will continue.

Effective implementation of the mechanisms provided for in the EAEU  Treaty is key to the future and further development of the union.   Work will continue to ensure the full and uninterrupted  implementation of the EAEU's fundamental freedoms-the free movement  of labor, services, goods, and finance-as well as to develop  relations with member and observer countries. The Republic of Armenia  will remain an active member of the UN and its specialized bodies,  the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the CIS, the International  Organization of La Francophonie, and the European Political  Community. The Republic of Armenia has also joined the Peace Council,  established at the initiative of US President Donald Trump, and will  continue its work in this format. The government will work toward  joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The program notes that  efforts will be made to develop relations with countries in the  Middle East and Africa and establish new ties.

2. Security

Peace is the only effective and reliable guarantee of security, and  the Republic of Armenia, its citizens, and socio-political circles  must strive to ensure peace on a daily basis, strengthening it,  making it more institutionalized, irreversible, and guaranteed. The  Armed Forces are a reserve instrument for ensuring external security  in cases where the aforementioned political and diplomatic measures  for ensuring external security and their application have proven  ineffective. The Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia must not be  used outside the internationally recognized territory of the Republic  of Armenia (except for participation in international peacekeeping  missions based on international treaties) and must serve exclusively  for the defense of the internationally recognized territory of the  Republic of Armenia.  Accordingly, the Government will ensure the  technological, combat-ready, and cultural transformation of the Armed  Forces and the continuous transition to a professional army,  increasing the country's defense capability, and expanding and  diversifying military-technical and military-technical cooperation.  The armament and logistical equipment of the Armed Forces will be  increased, including through the development of the potential of  Armenia's military-industrial complex. In this area, a continuous  transition to a professional army will be implemented by creating  more favorable conditions for attracting contract service members,  including the implementation of new systems for military service,  education, combat training, pay, careers, promotions, human resource  recruitment and management, reservists, moral and psychological  support, and social guarantees. Particular attention will be paid to  attracting women to the Armed Forces. The Armed Forces' potential  will be developed, the readiness of the Armed Forces' command and  control system will be enhanced, weapons and military equipment,  human, material, and technical resources will be provided, and  planning and other systems will be improved, thereby ensuring the  alignment of the Armed Forces' goals, objectives, and capabilities.  Plans also include a digital transformation of the Armed Forces and  its command and control system, including the digitization of command  and control processes, the introduction of a modern electronic  information system for pre-conscription registration, conscription,  the recruitment of reservists to training camps, preparation for  mobilization, and human resources management. The system will also  include processes for organizing medical examinations and recording  their results. A new system for replenishing regular troops,  operational, professional, and strategic reserve forces on constant  combat readiness will be implemented. Military educational  institutions will be brought into line with the standards of leading  Western countries, centers of excellence will be established, and a  comprehensive, independent national system of military education in  the field of defense will be formed. Housing issues for contract  service members registered for housing in accordance with the  procedure established by law, persons equivalent to them, former  military personnel discharged from service in accordance with the  established procedure, as well as family members of deceased service  members and former military personnel with disabilities resulting in  profound, severe, or moderate functional limitations, will be  addressed in stages. The system of long-term defense procurement from  local manufacturers will be improved to meet the future needs of the  Armed Forces, the production of ammunition and military equipment  will be localized in cooperation with foreign partners, and  capabilities will be created for the maintenance, repair, and  modernization of existing military equipment in the Armed Forces.

Integrated border management will not only ensure state security  guarantees but also simplify passenger flows, export-import  processes, and strengthen and modernize monitoring and control  mechanisms. The transformation of the Republic of Armenia from a  destination to a destination for entry and transit makes it crucial  to improve the effectiveness of migration management. To this end,  the state border protection zones will be gradually expanded by  Armenian border guards, with the potential to assume full border  protection. A comprehensive border management system will be  implemented in accordance with the best EU and international  standards, including a modern border management system utilizing  biometric technologies and digital solutions. The border service will  be transformed by reducing the military component and implementing  best international practices. A comprehensive modernization of  migration management will also be carried out, including  clarification of visa policy, strengthening of entry and residence  procedures, prevention of illegal migration, the development of an  institution of voluntary and forced return, as well as a logic for  the continuous development of the asylum system. A new biometric  system will be introduced that meets the highest international  standards, is equipped with advanced solutions, and is regularly  updated to reflect innovations in this field.

To address contemporary challenges to internal security and ensure  effective crime control, public policy will be based on two  complementary approaches: strengthening the rule of law in society,  fostering public intolerance toward crime and the causes and  conditions that contribute to its emergence and reproduction,  including the criminal subculture, and strengthening trust in the  civil law enforcement system. This approach will also see the  technological re-equipment of the law enforcement system and the  continuous development of its potential. In this regard,  criminological (including AI) analytical capabilities in the field of  crime will be modernized through the introduction of modern  analytical tools for assessing crime patterns, spatial distribution,  risks, and threats, the application of new methodologies for  predicting crime trends, early risk detection, and improved  prevention and evidence-based decision-making. Systematic mechanisms  will be developed to combat the criminal subculture as a risk factor  for crime and its characteristic behavior patterns by establishing  zero tolerance and its rejection in society, strengthening the values  of the rule of law and lawful behavior, as well as ensuring a  consistent and uncompromising response by law enforcement agencies to  any manifestations of them. An institutional transformation of the  republic's video surveillance systems (according to the "Smart City"  model) will be carried out in order to ensure public safety, combat  crime, and road safety in accordance with the principles of the  General Data Protection Regulation of the European Union. A "Digital  Police" will be formed, including "police based on artificial  intelligence", by ensuring the safety of citizens in the digital  environment, providing 24/7 accessible services, launching a cyber  laboratory, implementing risk assessment, personality profiling and  other modern digital tools, as well as developing the digital  capabilities of the police; the functional scope of the unified  operational and management center <112> will be expanded, including  emergency medical calls in a unified reception and operational  management system, in order to ensure the provision of emergency  assistance to the population through a single platform; legislation  regulating the circulation of weapons will be revised in order to  bring it into line with modern challenges in the fight against crime  and best international practice.  The foundation of the disaster risk  management system's development is to enhance the resilience of the  state, communities, and population by reducing disaster risks and  developing early warning capabilities. This will include the  implementation of a comprehensive early warning system for  multifactorial natural disasters and early warning for  hydrometeorological hazards, river basin modeling, flood risk  assessments, and other hydrometeorological hazard assessments. This  will also include the introduction of digital tools for risk  assessment and management, the modernization and digitalization of  disaster risk management plans, and the implementation of systems and  equipment to provide rescuers with real-time situational awareness  and operational information on the scene of an incident. The adoption  of unified fire safety standards is also planned to implement  risk-based approaches and improve the effectiveness of fire  protection. A comprehensive and large-scale modernization of the  seismic observation network will be carried out, including the  acquisition of unprecedented modern seismic monitoring and  measurement equipment in the region, significantly expanding  capabilities for early earthquake detection, accurate data analysis,  and seismic risk assessment. A disaster insurance model will be  introduced to improve the efficiency of financial management and  compensate for losses resulting from natural disasters.

To ensure food security, a new model of material reserves will be  developed to ensure food security and the formation of food reserves  necessary in crisis situations. A list of food products stored in  crisis situations will be developed so that the necessary products  included in the list are available in several interchangeable forms,  diversifying potential risks during their acquisition and storage and  minimizing external dependence. Self-sufficiency in animal products  will increase: beef from 88% to 93%, and milk from 78.6% to 88%.

The state adheres to the principle of "cybersecurity by default" and  guarantees the security of state information systems and the  continuity of digital services. To this end, vulnerability  assessments of all critical infrastructure, penetration testing, 24/7  monitoring, and rapid incident response mechanisms will be  implemented. The private and public sectors will be strengthened to  implement the best international standards (EU NIS 2, ISO/IEC 27001),  including for early warning, early detection, and rapid response to  cyber threats. As part of the government's unified policy, a National  Cyber Defense Center (NCDC) will be established within the National  Security Service. It will be capable of countering modern challenges,  equipped with modern software and technologies, meet international  standards, and staffed with highly qualified personnel in defense,  national security, and international relations. Programs will also be  implemented to raise public awareness and develop educational  opportunities to enhance society's cyber maturity. Strengthening  society's information resilience is also a key focus of future  reforms. Targeted measures will be implemented to prevent, early  detect, and mitigate the impact of external manipulation and  interference in information (FIMI), disinformation, and fake digital  content (synthetic artificial intelligence). The legal framework for  ensuring children's online safety will be improved by establishing  rules regarding children's rights online, protection from harmful  content (including on social media), the responsibility of digital  service providers, and the safe use of digital devices in schools.

3. Reform of the Armenian Apostolic Church

Reform of the Armenian Apostolic Church is vitally important for  addressing the challenge of building a values-based spiritual life.  To ensure spiritual security and prevent external forces from turning  the Armenian Apostolic Church into a base for hybrid struggle and  reform, the de facto head of the Armenian Apostolic Church will be  removed (resigned), elections for the Catholicosate will be held in  accordance with the established procedure, the adoption of the  Statute of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which will establish  mechanisms for upholding established principles, ensuring financial  transparency and proper conduct of the clergy, and the election of  the Catholicos of all Armenians in accordance with the established  procedure will be ensured. The government also commits to including  clergy representatives in the state system of social guarantees and  ensuring transparency in church funding. 

4. Economy

The Armenian government intends to ensure average annual economic  growth of 6% from 2026 to 2031, create 125,000 new jobs, at least  triple the size of the corporate bond market, and at least double the  export volume of Armenian goods. It also plans to increase industrial  production (in current prices) by 50%-from 3.3 trillion drams in 2025  to 5 trillion drams in 2031-increase the value of the gross  agricultural product by at least 50%, and double grain production.  The program includes the construction of 10 reservoirs with the goal  of completing them by 2033, the construction and reconstruction of  350 km of canals and pipelines, the provision of irrigation to 10,000  hectares of new land, and the provision of a 24-hour water supply to  residents of Yerevan, Gyumri, and Vanadzor.

It is also planned to continue developing Armenia's national space  capabilities by acquiring and launching at least two observation  satellites and one communications satellite, developing national  ground infrastructure, building national capabilities for satellite  management and data processing, and ensuring access to satellite data  and communications services for the government, science and  technology, and the private sector. It is also planned to commission  1,000-megawatt photovoltaic power plants and 800-megawatt energy  storage power plants. It is also planned to reduce poverty by 5  percentage points. It is also planned to digitalize essential public  and public services. It is also planned to continue the process of  returning illegally acquired assets, which will include the return of  illegally privatized and leased forests, beaches, parks and gardens,  as well as educational institutions and other public spaces to  communities and the state. It is also planned to continuously  replenish the unified account for recovered funds. It is also planned  to return illegally acquired real estate and movable property for  public use, totaling approximately $2 billion.

5. Education, Medicine, Social Services

Under the document, the entire country's population will be included  in the health insurance system. Work on visa liberalization for entry  into the EU for citizens of the Republic of Armenia will continue.  The authorities also intend to build and modernize 300 schools, 30  colleges, 100 extracurricular institutions, 100 kindergartens, 100  multifunctional playgrounds (including public swimming pools) over  the next five years, implement the Academic City technology cluster  project, as well as housing for 3,600 of its students, create  high-end computing power in the field of artificial intelligence (AI)  with a volume of at least 100,000 equivalent graphic processing units  (GPUs) or at least 35,000 equivalent GPUs per million inhabitants,  providing access to computing resources equivalent to at least 10% of  this capacity for the scientific research, education, startup,  industrial and public sectors of the Republic of Armenia. Increase  the volume of science funding to 1 percent of GDP. Starting from  2028, a system of indexation of pensions in accordance with the  inflation rate will be introduced.