Sweden Willing to Maintain Cooperation with RA Ministry of Internal Affairs

On March 14, the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Vahe Ghazaryan received the delegation headed by Patrik Svensson, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Sweden to the Republic of Armenia.
Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan and Chief of Police Staff of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Armen Mkrtchyan also participated in the meeting.
The Minister warmly received the ambassador and highlighted that it was the first visit of the Swedish ambassador to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Armenia, creating an auspicious occasion to address matters concerning mutual collaboration.
Vahe Ghazaryan emphasized the multifaceted support provided by international partners, especially the European Union, in the overall formation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which enhanced the effectiveness of both the police and rescue services.

The Minister of Internal Affairs highlighted the fruitful collaborations between Armenia and Sweden and mentioned some of the successful joint ventures. He particularly emphasized the diligent work carried out between the national central bureaus of Interpol of Armenia and Sweden.
Ghazaryan highlighted the Twinning project, a joint initiative by Sweden and Lithuania, supported by the European Union, which aims to strengthen the capacities and institutionalization of the Rescue Service in order to reduce the impact of various disasters on human life, the economy, and communities while enhancing disaster risk management abilities.
The Ambassador Patrik Svensson, expressed gratitude for the warm reception and conveyed his congratulations to Vahe Ghazaryan on his appointment as the Minister of Internal Affairs, wishing him a successful tenure.
During the meeting, the Ambassador highlighted the robust bilateral cooperation between Armenia and Sweden, along with the collaborations within the European Union framework. Ambassador Svensson specifically emphasized the noteworthy initiatives under the European Union-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), the Eastern Partnership, and the OSCE. He further expressed his commitment to maintaining the existing partnership and fostering future collaborations.
During the meeting, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan presented the ministry's formation, including the ongoing reforms in its subordinate services, i.e. the police, rescue, and migration services. Sargsyan also highlighted the upcoming certification process for the police and rescue services, which is expected to enhance the social protections and benefits of the employees.
Armen Mkrtchyan, Head of the RA MIA Headquarters, provided an overview of the collaborative programs implemented with the Swedish side, with a particular focus on the establishment of a specialized negotiation police unit and the related training courses for officers.
During the meeting, the attendees discussed future areas of collaboration and identified various issues related to the ongoing reforms of the MIA’s police, as well as the liberalization of visas, political protection and migration, the involvement of women in the services, and the fight against corruption.