On 9 April 2025, young specialists and CSO/Media representatives participating in the second stream of the budget training programme launched within the framework of the “Budgets for Citizens” project visited the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia to get acquainted with the activities of the RA NA Standing Committees and their role in the process of preparation and discussion of the state budget.

Mr. Sisak Gabrielyan, Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sport; Ms Anush Kloyan, member of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs and Ms Arusyak Manavazyan, member of the NA Standing Committee on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs met with the participants of the visit.

At the beginning of the meeting, representative of the ALA Ms Syuzanna Soghomonyan delivered a welcoming speech, presenting the goal and importance of the “Budgets for Citizens” program in the development of participatory budgeting.

During the discussion, the members of the NA standing committees presented the activities of their committees and their role in the process of preparing and discussing the state budget. The participants

During the discussion, committee members presented the activities of their committees and their role in the process of preparing and discussing the state budget. Participants raised issues related to public finances, assessing the effectiveness of budget programmes, and the engagement of the civil society.

Young specialists and CSO/Media representatives were interested in the issues related to the procedures for budget discussions, in particular, the mechanisms for discussing sectoral budget applications by standing committees and their work with the head committee.

Questions regarding the criteria for the final results of budget programmes, emphasizing that there have been no changes in some indicators for years, despite the fact that developments and changes in conditions have occurred over the years.

At the end of the meeting, the representatives of the RA NA welcomed the initiative of the program, as well as the active involvement of youth and civil society in the discussion of various sectoral issues within the framework of the budget process.

The “Budgets 4 Citizens” (B4C) action (8 December, 2022 – 7 December, 2026) is being implemented with the financial support of the European Union by the Armenian Lawyers’ Association, in cooperation with partners “Economic Development and Research Center” (EDRC) NGO and “Agora Central Europe” NGO (Czech Republic).