Yerevan/Mediamax/. International donor organizations and Russia will take part in the implementation of a "Sustainable school food” program approved by the Armenian government on August 22 by allocating additional grants.

Armenian Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan said today that the program aims to create a stable system for providing healthy food for elementary school students, which will allow resolving a number of key problems, particularly increasing the level of education, since children who get healthy food are more receptive and get better involved in the educational process, Mediamax reports.

According to the Minister, the program also resolves health problems and is one of the means to fight poverty. Armen Ashotyan also said that the program will contribute to the development of agriculture, since local products play a very important role in food preparation for school children.

The program envisages that the school students will get 200ml milk per day or cocoa, juice, yogurt, and 50gr cookies. The schools having relevant possibilities may also provide warm food to school students.

Armen Ashotyan also noted that both the communities and the parents can help the government expand the menu.

“Sustainable school food” program kicks off in 2014 in Vayots Dzor marz, in 2015 in Syunik and Ararat. By 2021, all the regions of Armenia and Yerevan will be involved in the program.

“There was such a program in Soviet times. Now we can say that we are restoring the traditions of the Soviet educational system, based on international experience and involving the best experts,” Armen Ashotyan said, adding that experts from Russia and Israel took part in the elaboration of the program.

As for the total budget of the program, the Minister said that it is still being calculated. The amount necessary to implement the program in Vayots Dzor will be approved by 2014 state budget.