YEREVAN. - Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan on Thursday held a consultation devoted to the prospects for IT information technology development.

Ministers and IT sphere representatives took part in the discussion.

“I consider this area as one of the greatest impellent forces of our economy and am ready to discuss with you all issues related to IT – educational system, universities, specialist preparation, administrative mechanisms, etc.,” the PM said at the outset of the consultation, adding that he expects to hear the ideas and specific proposals of those present regarding government’s steps towards the IT sphere development.

A number of ideas and draft programs drawn out for the development of the area have been presented to the Government. Specifically, the issues discussed included establishment of an engineering town and cybersecurity excellence center, increase in technological entrepreneurship funding and possibilities of implementing IT educational programs in high schools and universities.

During the exchange of ideas, reference was also made to the qualitative changes of the educational system, demand for specialists and other issues related to the education-business-science model.

The PM also inquired about the results of certain programs implemented jointly with the Armenian Government, attaching importance to their continuity.

“I need a program which would turn the world upside down. Besides specific programs, what should we change so that your area, business and market can develop? What hinders your? I need to understand the policy of your area both to increase the number of qualitatively good specialists and productivity in the GDP,” he noted.

According to Karapetyan, the Government is setting up an investment fund, which will be a tool for supporting business, including the IT sphere.

“The most difficult question today is providing means from the budget in conditions of our budget deficit. But we can participate in another way – through the property and assets that we have. If you create a group, which would study and make proposals on your and our actions, we can move in this direction,” the PM said.

In this context, he instructed the Minister of Transport, Communication and Informational Technologies to work jointly with the IT sphere representatives in precisely formulating their joint actions, as well as drawing out and submitting specific program proposals with targeted actions and results.