National Assembly considers renaming three ministries

The National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia is considering a package of draft laws proposing amendments to the Law on the Structure and Activities of the Government. Justice Minister Srbuhi Galyan said the package proposes renaming three ministries and reviewing their functions.

“The aim is to modernise the public administration system by bringing it into line with the state policy pursued by the Government and Armenia’s development priorities,” she said.

Galyan said the Ministry of High-Tech Industry would be renamed the Ministry of High-Tech Industry and Artificial Intelligence.

She noted that various state initiatives are currently being implemented in the field of artificial intelligence.

In particular, a draft concept has been developed on the use and regulation of artificial intelligence tools in the public administration system, while a pilot state support programme planned for 2026 aims to give AI innovators, researchers and organisations access to high-performance computing resources.

“The integration and development of artificial intelligence has already become a distinct and visible area of state policy assigned to the ministry, and the draft proposes reflecting that responsibility in the ministry’s name as well,” the minister said.

The package also proposes renaming the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs as the Ministry of Labour and Wellbeing.

“The new name emphasises the state’s main objective — not only responding to social problems, but also continuously improving the wellbeing of people and families,” Galyan said.

At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would be renamed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

According to Galyan, the aim of the change is to combine foreign policy and economic cooperation more effectively.

“The priorities of the Republic of Armenia’s foreign economic policy, the expansion of international economic cooperation and developments in international trade require the ministry’s functions and name to fully reflect the policy priority and importance of this area as well,” she said.