YEREVAN, JULY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan received on July 6 Deputy Director of UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and CIS Countries, Head of Bratislava Regional Center of UNDP Jans Wandel. Greeting the guest, the prime minister expressed a high opinion of UN Office activities in Armenia. Mr. Wandel emphasized that the 2010-2015 action plan of UNDP-Armenian Government Cooperation Program is the best one in the region in respect of public governance efficiency enhancement. The interlocutors spoke about macroeconomic developments and forecasts. In this context Tigran Sargsyan informed Jans Wandel on EU-Armenia cooperation priorities: the signing of a deep and comprehensive free trade agreement, the easing of entry visa requirements, the implementation of national program-stipulated reforms under the European Neighborhood Policy, and the realization of joint projects in the energy sector. When speaking about measures to combat corruption and shadow economy, Tigran Sargsyan said that in an effort to enhance transparency in the activities of state officials, the National Assembly has adopted the law on public services in the first reading. According to him, harmonious territorial development is carried out in two main directions: decentralization and building the capacity of local self-government bodies. The press srvice of the government reported that the sides then looked into the possibility of promoting bilateral cooperation. The head of RA government underlined the importance of using UN experts' experience and methodology in implementing UNDP-supported programs in Armenia.

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