Republican Party of Armenia

 Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan attended the final session of the Ministerial Summit of the European Higher Education Area and the Fourth Bologna Policy Forum at the Sports and Concert Complex after Karen Demirchyan.

The Premier delivered a welcoming speech, in which he stated in part, “We appreciate the participation of such an important audience - Bologna-member countries higher education ministers, delegations, international organizations - in the Yerevan forum.

Bologna reforms were critical to the model of the European higher education area. This Yerevan-hosted two-day conference is one of the long and continuous harbors of the Bologna process. This is a truly historic moment, an event which, I think, will help advance the vision of development of higher education through fresh formulations and priorities.

Today, societies are evolving rapidly and the crucial role of education remains high on the agenda. This is an area, which knows no ethnic, religious or political boundaries and offers wider opportunities for research and innovation, as well as for cultural and economic development.

The Bologna process is the result of successful cooperation. It was instrumental in the creation of the European model of higher education, providing an opportunity for countries with different cultural and educational traditions to create a learning environment in line with the European standards.

This is also a way for developing countries to master the positive experience of the achievements of the Bologna educational system, promote academic and exchange programs for students.

In this context, our cooperation should be based on mutual trust and dialogue, which can provide a solid platform for the development of political and economic opportunities.

Only quality education can help us build democratic societies by promoting the formaton of more flexible political and economic positions.

We can state with satisfaction that the 2015 Ministerial Summit in Yerevan stands out as the pledge of success on this path. All those conclusion and priorities set out in the Yerevan Declaration will be realized with the same consistency and engagement during the next three years.”

Due on May 14-15, the Ministerial Summit of the European Higher Education Area and the Fourth Bologna Policy Forum is attended by around 500 delegates from 47 countries and international organizations, with 20 countries represented by education ministers.