Eurasian Development Bank Celebrates Expansion of “Milk in Schools” Program in Armenia on World School Milk Day
Yerevan, Armenia, 29 September 2025. – The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), together with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Yeremyan Group, marked World School Milk Day at a special event hosted by the Yeremyan Dairy Factory. The celebration highlighted the successful expansion of the “Milk in Schools” program, which now provides nearly 1,400 schoolchildren in Yerevan and the Lori region with daily access to high-quality milk.
The program’s significant scale-up follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed in June 2024 between the EDB, the WFP, and the Yeremyan Group. This expansion builds on a successful pilot phase launched in 2023 in the towns of Jermuk and Yeghegnadzor, demonstrating a firm commitment to improving child nutrition and supporting local agriculture in Armenia.
The event was inaugurated with welcoming remarks from high-level representatives, including Araksia Svajyan, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports of Armenia; Leila Meliouh, Representative and Director of the UN WFP Armenia Office; Armen Melkikyan, Director of the EDB Representative Office in Armenia; and David Yeremyan, Founder and General Director of the Yeremyan Group.
“This is one of the best examples of cooperation between the state, the private sector, and international organizations. We are confident that neither the state, the private sector, nor international organizations could achieve success on their own. That is why this partnership is so important to us, and indeed, it is time to start discussing the possibilities of expanding the Milk in Schools program,” noted Araksya Svajyan, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia.
Leila Meliouh, Representative and Director of the UN WFP Armenia Office, stated “Since 2010, the World Food Programme has been implementing the School Feeding Programme to ensure that children in all regions of Armenia, excluding the capital Yerevan, have access to nutritionally balanced meals. In 2025, WFP expanded the programme to Yerevan and began promoting innovative and transformative school feeding models in Tavush, Lori, Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor, and Syunik. These models, including urban School Feeding, milk in schools, contribute to improved quality of education and healthier lifestyles through sustainable agriculture, circular economy practices, local community development, and green learning environments.”
Armen Melkikyan, Director of the EDB Representative Office in Armenia, stated: “This is yet another opportunity to remind us of the importance of a healthy diet and the role of dairy products in our daily lives. We at the EDB are proud to fund the “Milk in Schools” program carried out together with the World Food Programme and Yeremyan Group – a project that delivers tangible benefits for the health of Armenia’s future generations. The ‘Milk in Schools’ programme comes as a direct result of our Bank’s investment into Yeremyan Group, by financing the construction of a smart cattle farm in the Lori Region and a dairy factory in Yerevan. So today’s celebration is a perfect example of how strategic partnerships can create sustainable impact. The project aligns directly with our mission to improve the quality of life and promote comprehensive development and is an ideal case of tri-fold cooperation of the government, international organisations and the private sector.”
A key moment of the event was the presentation of findings from a WFP study, which confirmed the program’s positive outcomes, including increased milk consumption among children, healthier nutrition choices, and improved attention spans in the classroom.
The event continued in a panel discussion with the participation of Tatevik Sargsyan, Deputy Minister of Economy; Lena Nanushyan, Deputy Minister of Health; Leila Meliouh, WFP Representative in Armenia; Vera Barkatina, Manager of the EDB Technical Assistance Fund; and Lusine Yeremyan, Deputy General Director and the PR and Marketing Director of Yeremyan Group. The discussion was moderated by Astghik Sahakyan, President of the Armenian Representation of the Project Management Institute. The speakers highlighted the program’s positive impact, its effectiveness in encouraging healthier milk consumption habits among children and improving public health, as well as the importance of ensuring the sustainability of the program.
Vera Barkatina, Manager of the EDB Technical Assistance Fund, noted: "The EDB Technical Assistance Fund plays a critical role in de-risking and preparing innovative social projects for success. Our support for the 'Milk in Schools' program was strategic, enabling the crucial initial studies, stakeholder coordination, and operational design that transformed a powerful idea into a scalable, impactful reality. This program is a prime example of how targeted technical assistance can create the foundation for sustainable development, directly improving the lives of children and fostering a culture of health from the ground up."
“Public–private partnerships, such as this program, are very important to us. I would also like to highlight the importance of the livestock established in Lori through the cooperation between the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia and the Yeremyan Group. It is the largest in Armenia and unique in its kind across the entire region,” said Tatevik Sargsyan, Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia.
A second panel, titled “Generation Alpha: Fast Food or Food of the Future,” brought together nutritionists, educators, and students. The discussion highlighted the vital role of educating children on healthy eating habits and establishing milk consumption as a cornerstone of daily nutrition for their well-being.
The celebration successfully gathered a wide range of stakeholders, reinforcing the collective commitment to promoting a culture of healthy nutrition and recognizing World School Milk Day as a key platform for this important mission.
Additional Information:
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) is a multilateral development bank investing in Eurasia. For more than 19 years, the Bank has worked to strengthen and expand economic ties and foster comprehensive development in its member countries. By July 2025, the EDB’s cumulative portfolio comprised 319 projects with a total investment of US $19.1 billion. The Bank's portfolio consists principally of projects with an integration effect in transport infrastructure, digital systems, green energy, agriculture, manufacturing, and mechanical engineering. The Bank’s operations are guided by the UN Sustainable Development Goals and ESG principles. As part of its 2022–2026 Strategy, the EDB is implementing 3 mega-projects: The Water and Energy Complex of Central Asia, The Eurasian Transport Network, and The Eurasian Commodity Distribution Network.
The UN World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
The Yeremyan Group is a leader in agriculture, particularly dairy production, restaurant, hospitality and canteen business, and education. Over 20 years of its operations, the company has created and implemented more than a dozen ambitious and unique projects, significantly contributing to Armenia’s restaurant industry, agriculture and education.
Yeremyan Group encompasses renowned restaurant brands such as Renommée, the Seasons concept, Burgery, Casa Nostra, Livingston, Lavash, Sherep, Smoking Chef, SantaFe, Kagayaki, the Tavern Yerevan and Tavern Yerevan Riverside chain, and the Yerevani Shaurma fast food chain. The group also includes the Yeremyan Academy of Culinary Arts and Hospitality, Yeremyan Delivery, the Yeremyan Products dairy plant, and Yeremyan Farm, which oversees all agricultural projects.
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