Armenian granted association status to Horizon Europe

YEREVAN, November 15. /ARKA/. Armenia has been granted the association status to Horizon Europe, the European Union’s flagship research & innovation program that will have a budget of at least over €90 billion to spend over a seven-year period. the Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports said.

According to it, the agreement to that end was signed last week by the head of the Armenian Delegation to the EU, Ambassador Anna Aghajanyan and Signe Ratso, the Horizon Europe Chief Negotiator and Deputy Director-General of the Commission’s Directorate-General of Research and Innovation.

The signature ceremony took place in a hybrid format in the presence of Artur Martirosyan, Deputy-Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia.

Under the agreement Armenian researchers, innovators and research entities can now participate in the €95.5 billion program, under the same conditions as entities from the EU Member States.

The Horizon Europe Association Agreement will start producing legal effects after its entry into force that is once Armenia completes its ratification process and an exchange of diplomatic notes takes place between the European Commission and the Armenian authorities.

Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia Artur Martirosyan noted that the association status is an important step for the development of the national research system and an opportunity to gain new knowledge and experience.

The Horizon Europe program is designed for 2021-27. Participation in the program gives Armenian scientists the opportunity to integrate into the European scientific space, use the scientific infrastructures of the EU countries and participate in world-class scientific research. .

The Republic of Armenia was since 2016 fully associated to Horizon 2020, the previous EU research and innovation program (2014-2020).