Wednesday, 25 February 2026
The organization of reliable and credible elections remains a fundamental and ongoing political commitment of the Government of Armenia. Arayik Harutyunyan
Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister Arayik Harutyunyan participated in the event held within the framework of the “Advancing Reforms for Transparent and Inclusive Management of Electoral Systems in Armenia (ARTEMIS) project.
Representatives of international organizations in Armenia, diplomats accredited in Armenia, and other guests also participated in the event.
The Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission Vahagn Hovakimyan and the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program Natia Natsvlishvili delivered opening remarks.
Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister Arayik Harutyunyan also delivered a welcoming speech, in which, in particular, he noted:
“Dear Mr. Hovakimyan,
Dear Ms. Natsvlishvili,
Dear Guests,
Your Excellencies,
Thank you for your long-term commitment and consistent support in the institutional strengthening of Armenia’s electoral system, which plays a significant role in the development of our democratic institutions and state resilience.
Ensuring trust in the expression of citizens’ will and the reliable and credible organization of elections remain a fundamental and ongoing political commitment of the Government of the Republic of Armenia.
The 2026 parliamentary elections are important on the path of our democratic development and an important stage of assessing the level of our institutional readiness, system maturity and public trust.
The Government guarantees the independent work of the Central Electoral Commission and contributes to the continuous modernization of the electoral system. In the implementation of key components of the program, the Government acts as a co-financing partner, ensuring their stability and continuity, as noted by the partners.
We consider the modernization of the electoral system within the framework of a broad transformation of public administration, where technological development and systemic strengthening of cybersecurity play a key role. In this context, digitalization is a strategic direction for us, which also includes the responsible and regulated use of artificial intelligence for the purpose of efficiency, transparency and predictable risk management of electoral processes.
At the same time, we are strengthening the technological and information resilience of electoral systems, countering cyber threats, disinformation, and new risks aimed at undermining trust in electoral processes. We will face this in the coming months, and I believe that this cooperation will allow us to prevent such developments.
It is important for us that international support translates into real capacity and sustainable results for Armenia’s electoral system. Trust is built through strong institutions and open processes, and we are committed to ensuring that the 2026 elections are held in a way that every citizen can be sure that their vote has been counted, and that the electoral process is distinguished by honesty and transparency.
Thank you for your attention.”
The ARTEMIS project aims to promote transparent and inclusive electoral governance reforms. The project is being implemented in close cooperation between the United Nations, the European Union, the Governments of Germany, Norway and Sweden, and the Government of the Republic of Armenia, within the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Vahagn Hovakimyan, Central Electoral Commission Representative and Natia Natsvlishvili, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program.
