AWS and USAID accelerate Armenia’s cloud journey and digital resilience

During her visit to Armenia on July 10, 2024, Samantha Power, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator, announced $5 million in funding for a new public-private collaboration between USAID, the Government of Armenia, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). The collaboration will be delivered through USAID’s Enterprises for Development, Growth, and Empowerment (EDGE) Fund, launched to leverage the private sector’s competitive edge to solve global challenges.

Administrator Power joined Armenia’s Minister of High-Tech Industry, Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, to publicly launch the collaboration. It empowers Armenia’s ambitious digital transformation agenda and helps build resilience in Armenian institutions to enhance the government’s continuity posture.

“The government of Armenia will harvest Amazon Web Services industry expertise to create and reform policies to bring the benefits of innovative new technologies to their citizens, while also again protecting privacy and your rights. Amazon Web Services tech expertise will help Armenia develop ways to quickly and efficiently digitize its systems and data,” said Administrator Power in joint remarks with Minister Hayrapetyan. “And Amazon Web Services will provide critical training in cloud computing and cyber security that can help Armenia build data sovereignty – and defend that sovereignty against anyone who would seek to undermine it, all again while protecting the personal identifiable information of the citizens of Armenia,” added Power.

Armenia’s ongoing digital transformation is an integral part of the national agenda, helping to improve citizen support and further strengthen the country’s position as a leading technology hub regionally.

“On behalf of the government of Armenia, I express our sincere gratitude for this collaboration with USAID and AWS to accelerate Armenia’s cloud journey, aligning with the Cloud First policy recently adopted by the government,” said Minister Hayrapetyan.

Armenia adopted its Cloud First policy (CFP) on June 14, 2024. The CFP aims to innovate public services through cloud technology. During a publicly broadcasted government meeting on the CFP, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan underscored strategic consultations with AWS leadership to enhance data safety, cost-efficiency, and resilience in government services on AWS Cloud.

In March 2024, a few months before the CFP adoption, Armenia’s Ministry of High-Tech Industry (MHTI) leveraged Continuity of Government IT (CGIT) on AWS. CGIT is a comprehensive cloud-based solution guide that enables governments to protect their digital assets and services during disruptions of any kind.

“In response to unprecedented circumstances, organizations with strong digital foundations have proven to be better positioned to move faster and maintain continuity for those they serve. CGIT helps our customers improve their resilience posture, and we’re looking forward to continuing our efforts with the Government of Armenia as they advance on their cloud journey,” said Max Peterson, Vice President of Sovereign Cloud at AWS.

The deployment of CGIT, financed by USAID, is enabling Armenia to mitigate risks by mapping their continuity goals to an appropriate technology path and ensuring foundational policies are in place to support their digital transformation goals.

“As we chart the course for our digital future, the deployment of CGIT as a robust digital resilience tool exemplifies our commitment to innovation and vision for cloud adoption. It enhanced our capacity to navigate challenges, safeguard digital assets, and ensure uninterrupted citizen services,” said Minister Hayrapetyan. “We extend our appreciation to USAID and AWS for helping us to elevate our resilience and reinforcing our position as a regional tech hub.”

The deployment of CGIT, the adoption of the CFP, and the support of USAID’s EDGE Fund will fuel our shared mission of accelerating Armenia’s cloud journey and contributing to its cybersecurity, resilience, and innovation.

These efforts build on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that AWS signed with Armenia’s MHTI in 2022. The MoU’s aim was to modernize the technological infrastructure of the country and accelerate innovation and economic growth through the adoption of cloud services in Armenia’s public and private sectors.

With a focus on resilience, continuity, and responsible adoption, this initiative sets the stage for Armenia to emerge as a regional leader in the delivery of cloud native citizen services and overall technological innovation.

“Security and resilience are important benefits of the cloud, and AWS is proud to be working with the Government of Armenia to help accelerate their digital transformation and plan proactively,” said Peterson.

Scaling and replicating for global impact

The success of this collaboration between AWS, USAID, and the Government of Armenia presents a unique opportunity to scale and replicate the model to address the unique challenges and priorities of different regions in the world. By amplifying and proliferating this public-private model, we can empower governments, build cyber resilience, and unlock the potential of cloud computing to accelerate sustainable development goals.

Learn more about Continuity of Government IT on AWS and visit our International Public Sector hub.