On December 18, representatives of local self-government bodies from Ararat and Armavir Marzes participated in a discussion organized within the framework of "Irrigated Agriculture Development in Ararat and Armavir Marzes" (IADAAM) project.

The meeting aimed to familiarize local self-government representatives with the project’s objectives and planned interventions, paving the way for collaborative efforts to advance irrigated agriculture in the region. Funded by European Union (EU) and implemented by Agence Française de Développement (AFD), IADAAM is an ambitious initiative designed to transform agriculture in Armenia. Its key goals include operationalizing four Project Funds, promoting high-value agriculture, supporting the establishment of marketing and processing cooperatives, and implementing land consolidation processes. These efforts are driven by innovative and sustainable approaches to ensure long-term impact.

A technical assistance component of the project is being implemented by a consortium led by Agriconsulting Europe S.A., with the participation of Avenue Consulting Group LLC, Strategic Development Agency NGO, and 3R Strategy LLC. This component focuses on providing institutional support to the Ministry of Economy (MoE) to develop agricultural policies and reforms in priority areas.

The discussion opened with a welcoming address from Lise Enezian, Project Officer for Armenia at Agence Française de Développement (AFD), who highlighted the importance of fostering dialogue and collaboration with local self-government representatives. Following her remarks, Stefan Rosenow, Team Leader of the IADAAM project, outlined the project’s main objectives and emphasized the crucial role of agricultural advisory services in improving productivity and introducing innovative practices at the community level.

The event served as a platform to discuss key challenges in the agricultural sector across the target regions, assess the availability of agricultural support services, and explore their significance for regional economic development.