During a recent visit to Armenia, Council of Europe Director of Programme Co-ordination Claus Neukirch visited a youth centre in Aparan municipality (Aragatsotn province). The centre was established in 2021 through a small grant under the Council of Europe project "Democratic Development, Decentralisation and Good Governance in Armenia”, funded by the Austrian Development Cooperation. The main goal of the grant was to create a common space to be used for community council sessions, public discussions, training, and community development activities implemented by active young people.

Centre users explained the new opportunities offered by the centre, such as exchanging experiences and building initiatives for the community.

“The youth of this community have a meeting space where they can discuss their plans and present how they envision changes in the community. Democracy should start at local level and with young people, so that in the future these young people can make decisions affecting their lives”, stated Claus Neukirch during his visit.

The Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia Vache Terteryan and Head of Austrian Co-operation Office in Yerevan Klaus Kapper participating in the visit highlighted the fruitful and close co-operation with the Council of Europe.

The dimension of local democracy and local self-government remains one of the key areas of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026 to support democratic reforms in the country. This reflects the importance both the Council of Europe and the Government of Armenia attach to the need for decentralisation of powers and a strong, vibrant local government in Armenia.

The Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026 was officially launched on 16 February, in Yerevan by Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe Bjørn Berge and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan.

For more information on the co-operation between the Council of Europe and Armenia, please consult the dedicated page of the Directorate of Programme Co-ordination of the Council of Europe and the website of the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan.