The Central Bank of Armenia Hosts the Annual Meeting of the Technical Assistance Programme on Financial Education

On 29 September, the Central Bank of Armenia hosted the opening of the Annual Meeting of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Ministry of Finance of the Netherlands' Constituency Programme on Technical Assistance in Financial Education, held under the theme "Strengthening Financial Resilience."

The official opening featured remarks by Martin Galstyan, Governor of the Central Bank of Armenia; Miles Larbey, Head of the Financial Consumer Protection, Education and Inclusion Unit at the OECD; Anna Babajanyan, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia; and Angelique van Haasteren, Coordinator at the Ministry of Finance of the Netherlands.

Martin Galstyan emphasised that a modern approach to financial education should go beyond the mere provision of knowledge and focus on people's actual financial behaviour and well-being. He noted that the third phase of Armenia's Financial Education Programme, currently under development, places particular emphasis on experimentation, behavioural approaches and the evaluation of outcomes.

Miles Larbey noted that the meeting, bringing together representatives from Armenia and ten other countries across the region, reflects a shared commitment to advancing financial education policies and strengthening regional cooperation.

According to Angelique van Haasteren, financial resilience means being able to effectively manage day-to-day finances, withstand economic shocks, continue progressing towards long-term goals, and maintain confidence and control over one's finances.

Anna Babajanyan highlighted the importance of cooperation among public institutions, the Central Bank, the education system, the private sector and other partners, while also presenting Armenia's experience in integrating financial education into school curricula.

Ahead of the meeting, a welcome reception was held at the National Gallery of Armenia on September 28, where participants were welcomed by Armen Nurbekyan, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Armenia, and Armen Ktoyan, Board Member of the Central Bank of Armenia. Armen Nurbekyan highlighted the importance of evidence-, research- and evaluation-based policymaking, noting that financial education programs should be assessed not only by the number of activities implemented, but also by their actual impact on people's behavior and financial decisions.

The meeting will continue over the next two days, with further discussions and exchanges of experience on financial education and financial resilience.