A memorandum of intent was signed between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia and the Swedish Civil Protection Agency within the framework of the "Resilient Armenia" program.

ArmInfo. A memorandum of intent was signed between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia and the Swedish Agency for Civil Protection and Sustainable Development within the framework of the "Resilient Armenia" program.

According to the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the document was signed on the sidelines of a meeting between Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Armen Ghazaryan and a delegation from the Swedish Agency for Civil Protection and Sustainable Development. During the meeting, the mechanisms, priority areas, and expected results of the "Resilient Armenia" program, aimed at promoting inclusive and sustainable disaster risk management through Armenian-Swedish cooperation, were discussed.

The Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs emphasized that activities under the program should be needs-based and deliver tangible results. In this context, the importance of the digital component in the development of data management, early warning, and crisis management systems was noted.

Representatives of the Swedish side noted the possibility of expanding cooperation with the Armenian side in the field of disaster risk management, highlighting common goals within the program.

The parties confirmed their readiness to jointly implement the project and develop cooperation in the field of disaster risk management, emphasizing a gender-sensitive, inclusive, sustainable, and results-oriented approach.

The meeting was preceded by a project kick-off seminar, which was attended by representatives and experts from the Ministry of the Interior, the Rescue Service, and the Swedish Agency for Civil Protection and Sustainable Development. The project, implemented with the support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), aims to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of the Interior in disaster risk management, contributing to Armenia's more effective integration into the EU civil protection mechanism. Garik Khudoyan, Head of the Program Planning and Implementation Department of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Susanna Johansson, Project Manager, welcomed the seminar participants.

In her speech, Klas Waldenström, Deputy Head of Mission of the Swedish Embassy in Armenia, emphasized the importance of Armenian-Swedish cooperation and the implementation of joint programs aimed at increasing societal stability. It was noted that the program is of great importance for developing the capacity of the Rescue Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, reducing the risks of natural disasters, and improving the civil defense system.

Maria Johansson, Head of the Swedish Civil Defense Group, presented approaches to ensuring civil defense and community resilience.