YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 27, NOYAN TAPAN. A memorandum of mutual understanding was signed on February 26 among the RA Ministry of Education and Science, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Center for Education Programs to implement radical reforms in the middle specialized education system of Armenia. Certifying the memorandum, RA Minister of Education and Science Levon Mkrtchian expressed a confidence that without reforms and trained staff, the economic stability of the country is endangered. The Minister mentioned that the Gyumri Vocational College, Yerevan Industrial College, Hrazdan Tourism and Nor Geghi Agricultural Colleges will be restored and reformed within the framework of the program. Besides, necessary equipment will be got and given to colleges, normative acts and educational standards will be worked out, modern educational plans and text-books will be formed. Levon Mkrtchian expressed a hope that the cooperation with the UNDP and World Bank will continue in future as well, and Consuelo Vidal, the UN Permanent Representative to the RA mentioned in her speech that strengthening of human capital with the help of education will have essential meaning for future development of Armenia. Kori Udovicki, the UN Assistant Secretary General, UN Development Programme Assistant Administrator, Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States, who is on an official visit to Armenia was also present at the ceremony of signing the memorandum. She mentioned that UN resources are mainly given to the health care, education, ecological spheres as well as the poverty reduction program. In K.Udovicki's words, all-embracing development of the mankind without development of the educational sphere is impossible. She mentioned that the signed memorandum envisages not only to restore middle professional institutions but also to modify the whole educational system, bringing it in correspondence with the global educational market.

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