Civil Contract presents its election program: institutionalization of  peace, education as a strategy of strategies, balanced foreign policy

ArmInfo.  The ruling Civil Contract party (CCP) presented its election program, the ideological foundation of which is the idea of a "Real Armenia" and the doctrine  of the country's economic and institutional transformation.

The key objectives for 2026-2031 include: The following are defined:  the institutionalization of peace, education as a strategy of  strategies, a balanced foreign policy, foreign, food, energy, and  domestic security, an effective fight against criminal subculture,  cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, digitalization, technology, a  values-oriented society, the economization of culture and sports, a  healthy lifestyle, social equality, respect for the environment, the  protection of wild and domestic animals, and others.

The economic development program is presented as a separate block,  containing 100 points.

The main goals of the economic program are to ensure at least 6%  annual GDP growth; increase industrial production by 50% - from the  current 3.3 trillion drams to 5 trillion drams; increase the share of  small and medium enterprises in GDP to 40% compared to 34.3% in 2024;  modernize the economy by introducing 20,000 units of the latest  equipment and their components, including 3,000 units of agricultural  machinery and 2,000 units of equipment for agricultural processing;  create at least 25,000 new jobs annually; reduce the poverty rate by  5 percentage points; cover the entire population with universal  health insurance; provide personal assistant services to 2,000  persons with disabilities; index pensions so that the average actual  pension is not lower than the minimum consumer basket; The start of  the implementation of the Trump Route for International Peace and  Prosperity (TRIPP) investment project, including the launch of at  least the railway and electricity infrastructure; reconstruction of  the Gyumri-Turkish border and Yeraskh- Nakhichevan border railway  sections; construction of the second terminal of Zvartnots Airport by  2033 with an increase in passenger throughput, reorganization of  Syunik Airport into an international airport; modernization of the  Meghri (Agarak) checkpoint by increasing to 5 lanes in each direction  instead of the current 2, and the Bagratashen checkpoint by  increasing to 10 lanes on each side; the start of work on 4 tunnels -  the construction of the Kajaran, Dilijan and Bargushat tunnels, as  well as the reconstruction of the Pushkin tunnel - with the aim of  completion by 2033; construction, reconstruction and major repairs of  2,500 km of roads; Ensuring a multiple increase in exports of  products of Armenian origin (up to $8.9 billion); the creation of at  least 10 internationally accredited quality control laboratories; the  introduction of a biometric passport system and, based on it, modern  technological solutions for crossing borders; the establishment of a  visa-free regime with the European Union; an increase in gross  agricultural output by 40% - up to approximately 1.5 trillion drams;  stimulation of land consolidation; the construction of at least 1,500  hectares of intensive orchards annually;

Construction of 150 hectares of greenhouses equipped with modern  technologies; Introduction of water- saving technologies on 8,000  hectares of land; Increasing the level of self-sufficiency in beef  from 88% to 93.5%, in milk - from the current 78.6% to 88.7%;  Tripling the share of breeding cattle - from 2.5% to 7.5%, small  cattle - from 2.5% to 7.5%; Construction of 50 livestock  complexes Increasing the level of self-sufficiency in milk from the  current 78.6% to 88.7% Creation of 2 agricultural logistics centers;  Creation or modernization of 25 refrigeration facilities;  Implementation of a quality control system and implementation of  imported pesticides and fertilizers; Start of construction of 10  reservoirs with the aim of completing the work by 2033; Construction  and reconstruction of 350 km of canals and pipelines; Irrigation of  10,000 hectares of new land; 24-hour water supply in Yerevan, Gyumri  and Vanadzor; Construction and modernization of 50 healthcare  facilities, including accreditation of 20 of them according to EU or  US standards, and initiation of the process of aligning the  professional knowledge and skills of healthcare workers with EU  standards; Construction of a new national stadium in Academic City  that meets UEFA standards and can accommodate 35,000 spectators, as  well as two more stadiums with at least 10,000 spectators, in  Vanadzor and Ijevan; Commencement of construction of Ajapnyak station  of the Yerevan Metro, as well as a new ground station between Zoravar  Andranik and Sasuntsi David stations, with the aim of completion by  2033; Establishment of the National Cyber Defence Center and  development of technical capabilities and potential in the field of  cybersecurity; Full launch of the gaming sphere monitoring center by  2027, multiple growth of the capital market volume - from 664 billion  drams in 2025 to 1.3 trillion drams by 2031; Full digitalization of  municipal property management - by the end of 2030; gradual reduction  of the budget deficit - to a level of no more than 2% of GDP;  stabilization of the tax-to- GDP ratio at 26%; reduction of the share  of debt servicing expenses in budget revenues from 12.1% in 2025 by  at least 2 percentage points by the end of the period; creation of an  early warning system for hazardous hydrometeorological phenomena,  including river modeling and the launch of a digital system for risk  management and assessment; standardization of police activities,  creation of a ; The start of the program for the  construction of a new nuclear power unit with the selection of  technology by the end of 2027, the implementation of the program for  extending the service life of the second power unit of the Armenian  NPP for an additional period of 2026-2036, the development of  renewable energy with the aim of bringing the capacity of solar and  wind energy to 2000 MW by 2040; the creation of a biogas production  station, the creation of a green hydrogen production station; the  construction of an industrial city with the creation of an integrated  industrial and research environment; the creation of 2 industrial  zones in the regions of the country; the development and adoption of  the general project for resettlement and territorial organization of  the Republic of Armenia, the harmonization of urban planning norms  and standards with those of the European Union; the establishment of  new construction standards (including road construction); Launch of  the urban development modernization program for Kond district in  Yerevan, implementation of the Cascade - Cultural Hub architectural  investment project in Yerevan until 2031, implementation of the  Noragyugh - Downtown Yerevan urban development investment project  until 2036, creation of Dalma city park; increase of the capital's  green space by 230 hectares; commencement of work on creating a  recreational area of Hrazdan gorge in Yerevan with completion by  2036; creation of an urban forest park of at least 7 hectares in the  Nork-Marash district; reassessment of the urban development and  economic potential of the coastal zone of Lake Sevan with its maximum  use in accordance with modern environmental standards, annual  reduction of water intake from Lake Sevan by 5 million cubic meters;  ensuring round-the-clock protection of forests and specially  protected natural areas throughout the territory of the Republic of  Armenia using modern monitoring technologies by the ecopatrol  service.  Implementation of measures to protect and develop  biodiversity, introduction of a system for managing biological safety  and the impact of the environment (climate change, air, water) on  human health; creation of a nationwide system for monitoring  atmospheric air quality in accordance with international standards  (16 modern monitoring stations, a reference laboratory); construction  of 3,000 new houses in border and other rural settlements, provision  of housing for 10,000 families displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh,  adoption of a state program to support housing for large families,  reformatting relations with the diaspora:  expansion, etc.

In the context of institutionalizing peace, the continuation of the  border delimitation process, the implementation of the TRIPP project  in accordance with the provisions of the Washington Declaration of  August 8, 2025, which will lead to the complete unblocking of  regional communications, the final signing and ratification of the  initialed agreement on the establishment of peace and interstate  relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of  Azerbaijan, as well as the further implementation of the steps  envisaged therein, are envisaged.

"The listed steps for institutionalizing peace are not exhaustive:  contacts between representatives of civil society and the business  community, bilateral trade, political, cultural, and humanitarian  dialogue are important tools for institutionalizing peace, and the  Civil Contract Party will encourage and support the intensification  of these areas," the State Duma program notes. The source also states  that education is the primary tool for implementing the state's  development strategy, encompassing preschool, general,  extracurricular, vocational, higher, and postgraduate education,  informal learning, professional retraining, continuous development of  professional skills, retraining, and intellectual development.  According to the ruling party's election platform, the education  system should teach students the skills necessary for a prosperous,  fulfilling, and happy life.

The Civil Contract Party declares education to be the strategy of  strategies. At the same time, it plans to increase funding for  science between 2026 and 2031, reaching 1% of GDP.

The program places special emphasis on a balanced foreign policy,  which will be implemented as a strategy, with the key objective of  preventing imbalances in foreign relations or ensuring the  availability of tools to counterbalance them.

Regarding relations with the EU, it is stated that Armenia will  continue to implement the necessary reforms to meet the EU membership  criteria. "When the country fully meets these criteria, joining the  EU will be a political decision, dependent on the EU's readiness to  accept Armenia. If so, Armenia will strive for full membership. If  not, implementing reforms will be a strategic achievement, as Armenia  will become a country fully compliant with European standards," the  program states.

Regarding the EAEU, it is noted that the State Duma recognizes that  simultaneous membership in both the EAEU and the EU is impossible.  Therefore, as long as reforms to align with EU standards are  compatible with EAEU membership, Armenia will remain a member of the  Union and will develop trade and economic relations with its states.

According to the State Duma program, the army is a reserve instrument  for ensuring external security in the event diplomatic measures fail.  The Army of the Republic of Armenia should 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 should serve exclusively to  protect the territory of the Republic of Armenia.

"The parliamentary majority formed by the Civil Contract party and  the government will continue reforms of the RA army in accordance  with the concept for transforming the army of the Republic of  Armenia. A comprehensive defense and security system will be  gradually introduced," the program states.

At the same time, the program also includes provisions for reforming  the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC). In this context, it is planned  to effectively remove the head of the AAC, appoint an interim  patriarch in accordance with the established procedure, adopt the  Statute of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and elect the Catholicos of  All Armenians in accordance with the established procedure.

The source states that the reform of the AAC is aimed at restoring  constitutional order in the Republic of Armenia by removing the  Church from the political sphere.

The full text of Nikol Pashinyan and the Civil Contract party's  election program is available at this link:   https://www.civilcontract.am/news-inner/924