On October 6, RS Deputy Director of MIA Tigran Petrosyan received a delegation of French experts led by Thierry Girard. They discussed the progress and prospects of the implementation of the “Support Program for Armenia: EU Resilience Development, NDICI-GE Funding 2025–2027” program. The main purpose of the program was to increase resilience through the formation of an effective, comprehensive disaster risk management system.

Tigran Petrosyan emphasized the importance of international partnership, noting that the support of such an experienced and willing partner as France will contribute to the development of the capabilities of the Rescue Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the voluntary rescue system.

In his speech, the lead of the delegation Thierry Girard highly appreciated the efforts of the Rescue Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in disaster risk reduction, prevention and population protection.

During the meeting, the heads of the Rescue Service departments presented a number of initiatives aimed at the formation of volunteer fire and rescue teams, crisis management, response organization, provision of psychological support and medical assistance, implementation of civil protection, prevention of disaster risk and elimination of consequences.

The working meeting was an important platform to assess the capabilities, discuss the institutionalization of the volunteer rescue system, as well as the possibilities of integrating the actions of the European Union-supported project into the Disaster Risk Management Strategy and the national legislative and institutional framework.

The priority areas of the project were also discussed, including issues aimed at improving risk assessment at the community and national levels, developing professional and volunteer capacities, strengthening public awareness and preparedness.

The parties reaffirmed their willingness to continue cooperation, the main purpose of which was to create a more ready and resilient system of rapid response and elimination of the consequences of disasters in Armenia.