Protection of socially vulnerable groups of the society is and has always been one of the main issues in Armenia. The government certainly takes into account the necessity of financial expenses on these groups when developing projects or development plans. However practically it is impossible to solve the complex issues of the social sector with the resources of the government only. This is one of the sectors where it is impossible to be success with financial resources only. The approach of the society is important as well because there are stereotypes that have to be broken. In the recent times there have been tangible improvements in this direction also due to the international support for social projects. The Eastern Partnership Project of the European Union launched in spring 2009 envisages complex solutions of the issues in the social sector, which includes issues concerning the relative infrastructures. The social sector is included in the priorities of the Eastern Partnership Project. The social reforms are considered by the Eastern partnership Project to be one of the most important preconditions for development. “Encourage future economic development, add efforts for poverty reduction and social harmonization, thus supporting the long-term goals of stabile development. Continue the implementation of the poverty reduction project, which will serve a path for the policy to provide mid-term economic development to reduce poverty and allocate the wealth equally according to the needs of the country, continue the reforms in the sectors of labor, social security and social protection. Adopt efficient means of job opening and poverty reduction, which will be targeted at reduction of the number of people having less income than the limit of poverty and raise the social equity level, including the adoption of stabile systems of education, healthcare and other services available to everyone.” These are only some of the numerous goals of the Eastern Partnership Project concerning the support to the social sector. From the long-term point of view as a result of the implementation of this action plan Armenia will have an opportunity to join the European social protection code and its protocols. According to these actions there shall be infrastructure and structure changes. Only such changes will enable to have social security systems in Armenia, which are working effectively for decades in European countries. These projects, besides specific actions, have a non-material component, which is very important as well. It is about the approach of the society to the vulnerable groups such as the disabled people. Unfortunately the representatives of this group in Armenia are isolated and don’t feel a part of the society. Numerous projects in this sector during many years are to break the stereotypes and open a path for the integration of the socially vulnerable groups.
