Monday, 15 February 2021
Tigran Avinyan attends “Freedom of Information in the System of Public Administration” seminar
On February 15, Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan attended the “Freedom of Information in the System of Public Administration” seminar, organized by the Freedom of Information Center. Addressing the event, the Deputy Prime Minister said:
“I welcome the idea of holding this “Freedom of Information in the System of Public Administration” seminar and its participants. Discussions in this format are important in terms of accurate assessment of the scope and content of problems faced in this area. This implies search for the right solutions. Therefore, I think that the seminar will be effective for all participants
Modern technologies seem to have erased the boundaries of access to information, and we often have cases when blatant disinformation or, more dangerous, manipulative information becomes widespread, turning into truth in public perception. In this regard, it is extremely important to maximize the dissemination of reliable information, considering that state bodies are often the carriers of such information.
I attach importance to ensuring that government agencies properly fulfill their duties, remain accessible to the media and are not constrained in their cooperation with media outlets. In the meantime, information providers should take great responsibility for their requests, remembering that the quality and level of public awareness is often determined by the style of their work.
Here, I would like to emphasize that our government welcomes this seminar, like other similar ideas. We are most interested in information reliability, freedom and maximum access to information, so we must do everything possible to make this area at least problem-free. I wish the seminar successful proceedings. Thank you.”
The seminar is intended for the staff of information and public relations departments of 57 government agencies. The event is held as part of the Support for Armenia initiative. The agenda of the seminar features issues related to the advantages of freedom of information for public administration bodies, the procedures for submitting oral, written and electronic requests, the functionality of a unified platform, the procedures, mechanisms (offline and online) and the deadlines for providing information.
