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Digital technologies have penetrated all spheres of human life, becoming an integral element of sustainable development, and rural areas and agriculture are no exception. However, the processes of digital transformation possess certain challenges. Among them are ICT penetration, digital literacy of society, and the digital divide. This article aims to evaluate the digital penetration and the digital divide in rural areas of Armenia and identify and propose directions for improvement. For that purpose, a sample survey was conducted among rural households. The questionnaires included questions aimed at assessing digital literacy, as well as the level of ICT penetration and use. In addition, the Digital Devices and Technologies Usage Index (DTUI) was composed and calculated. The comparison of DTUI values revealed that being distant from the capital Yerevan can negatively impact ICT usage and digital penetration. It was revealed that households with higher incomes tend to use more ICT, which can indicate a possible positive relationship between DTUI and can be further studied by integrating econometric regression analysis. To facilitate and accelerate the processes of digital penetration and ICT use in rural areas of Armenia, relevant proposals were presented in the scope of the article. The results of this article can be useful for policymakers and the results part can be relevant for wider audiences. In particular, the recommendations presented in the article can be used by the RA Government as practical state support measures aimed at the promotion of digitalization in rural areas. Further research can include the digitalization issues in urban areas and provide insights into the digital divide between urban and rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uncovers relationships between the wine export and production in Armenia. Wine industry is a strategically important economic sector in Armenian. The importance of its development is strongly supported by the fact that alcoholic beverages from grape processing are products with high customs value exported from Armenia (in 2020 the share of alcoholic beverages in the entire export structure was about 8.4%). Within the framework of this study, a detailed analysis of the wine production was performed. By applying econometric analysis, we assessed the impact that the increase of wine export has on wine production. Also, the empirical analysis of the impact of USD and RUB exchange rates on wine industry was performed. Overall, the econometric analysis indicated that export volumes and USD exchange rate significantly affect Armenian wine industry. This study provides enough evidence for us to conclude that the export of Armenian wine must be heavily promoted by Government policies and the same time the export directions must be diversified. The results of this study can be basis for scientific substantiation of sectorial strategies developed by the Government of Armenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]