Category: News

Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ararat Mirzoyan said that comments about Iran’s concerns over TRIPP in some Armenian media outlets are significantly exaggerated.

Speaking at a press briefing, Mirzoyan was asked whether he had managed to dispel the Iranian side’s concerns about the TRIPP project during his recent visit to Iran.

“The comments, the spin with which Iran’s concerns over TRIPP are presented in some Armenian media outlets are, if I may not go so far as to say they are significantly detached from reality, significantly exaggerated. The Iranian side has questions, and those questions have been answered. My impression is that the Iranian side is satisfied with this process. For example, the Iranian side asks whether there will be an American military presence along TRIPP. There will not be. People ask, and we tell them there will not be. The documents attest to this, and reality attests to this. In other words, it is normal for them to have this question, and we give them the correct answer. They then say, well, if there will not be one, they too will be able to use that railway network, won’t they? It is a textbook truth that the armed presence of a third party in the relationship between two other parties will only complicate the lives of those two parties. People had questions, and answers have been provided to those questions on a regular basis. It is not as though I went this time and was asked this question, because it was raised a year ago and clarified. I went, and they told me, ‘If that is the case, then fine…’” the Armenian foreign minister elaborated.

Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ararat Mirzoyan met UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany on the sidelines of the leaders’ summit on biodiversity.

According to a statement from the Armenian ministry, the two discussed cooperation between Armenia and UNESCO, particularly in education, culture and the preservation of cultural heritage.

Mirzoyan stressed the importance Armenia attached to active participation in UNESCO programmes and to the organisation’s initiatives.

UNESCO’s role in strengthening mutual trust and promoting regional cooperation was also highlighted.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, commenting on the TRIPP project, said that Iran trusts its Armenian partners and is confident that Armenia will do nothing to undermine Iran’s security.

Asked at a press briefing in Yerevan during the COP17 Leaders’ Summit whether Iran still has concerns about the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project and the US presence in the region, Araghchi said:

“We have concerns about any US presence in the region and around us. But on this issue, we are in direct contact with our Armenian friends. We trust them, and we know that they will do nothing against Iran’s security. We continue consultations with the Armenian authorities. My good friend, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, was in Tehran, and we had good consultations. Today, our president will meet with the Armenian prime minister, perhaps for the second time in two weeks. So, we are in close contact,” Araghchi said.

Armenian Parliament Speaker Ruben Rubinyan met with OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Pere Joan Pons Sampietro on the sidelines of the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament of the Council of Europe in Rome.

The parliament’s press service said the meeting addressed issues related to cooperation between Armenia and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

The sides also discussed regional security and stability, as well as mechanisms for conducting observation missions and prospects for their further development.

They also exchanged views on expanding cooperation through parliamentary dialogue and other issues of mutual interest.

Armenian Parliament Speaker Ruben Rubinyan met with his Moldovan counterpart, Igor Grosu, in Rome on October 16 on the sidelines of the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament of the Council of Europe.

According to the Armenian Parliament’s press service, the meeting addressed issues related to the development of bilateral relations between Armenia and Moldova and the expansion of interparliamentary cooperation.

The sides exchanged views on the challenges facing the two countries, the similarities between them, and the steps being taken to overcome these challenges.

They also discussed other issues of mutual interest.

Armenian Parliament Speaker Ruben Rubinyan met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk, during the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament of the Council of Europe in Rome.

The meeting addressed issues related to the development of Armenia-Ukraine relations and the expansion of interparliamentary ties, according to a statement issued by the Armenian parliament’s press service.

The two speakers also discussed a number of issues of mutual interest, including regional matters.

Armenia, which holds the presidency of COP17, will host the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in Yerevan on October 19–30.

Armenian Cabinet members have highlighted the importance of hosting the conference, citing its international significance and the opportunities it offers to advance biodiversity conservation and cooperation across various sectors.

Speaking to Armenpress ahead of the opening of the Leaders’ Summit within the framework of COP17, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan emphasized that Armenia had never before hosted an event of such scale and that the presence of large delegations in the country was significant in itself.

“The agenda is also important because biodiversity and nature conservation are among Armenia’s important priorities. In this context, it is particularly important for us that, within the framework of COP17, we are assuming and bringing to a close a certain phase of this responsibility,” he said.

Asked what practical steps could be expected from such events, the minister said that the conference’s focus on biodiversity was very important in itself. He added that the event also offered a good opportunity to engage with representatives of different countries and sectoral experts.

“I think our partners in Armenia, regardless of the sector in which they operate, will be able to make real use of this opportunity,” Khudatyan said.

Asked about the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure’s role in organizing COP17, the minister explained that a working group had been established under the coordination of the Ministry of Environment.

“We have tried to properly fulfill all the tasks assigned to the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure within that group. These included matters related to the State Property Management Committee and road construction work,” he said.

Minister of High-Tech Industry and Artificial Intelligence Davit Tadevosyan also told Armenpress that it was a great honor and responsibility for Armenia to host COP17. 

“And, if I am not mistaken, this is the first year that we are required to report on what humanity pledged to nature in Montreal in 2022 and assess what it has managed to achieve over the years. That is why I consider this conference very important. First and foremost, this is an event dedicated to biodiversity, which has particular significance. Let me explain what I mean. Humanity now has the technical and technological tools to monitor changes in nature in almost real time. These include satellite imagery and tools for analyzing it using artificial intelligence, various types of sensors, and so on. In other words, we can observe, assess and understand in real time the impact our activities have on nature. I do not want to claim that all technological challenges related to biodiversity conservation have been fully resolved, but the range of available tools is expanding year by year. I hope that, in the foreseeable future, the use of these tools will also be incorporated into legislation, enabling more informed decisions on biodiversity conservation,” he said.

Asked what message Armenia would convey at the conference, the minister replied:

“I think Armenia was not chosen to host the conference by chance. Despite our small territory, we have rich biodiversity and a wealth of plant and animal species, and it is our responsibility to preserve them. In a way, this event may be a promise we make to ourselves, a commitment to work in that direction. What matters to me is what will remain in Armenia after this event: new scientific partnerships, new research programs and perhaps the establishment of a basis for cooperation in our professional fields.”

Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan also stressed that Armenia was hosting an event of this scale for the first time and that it was important for the country to establish its place on the map of major international conferences and events.

“As you know, Armenia has rich biodiversity, and our task is to protect nature through active and effective measures, including by addressing the impact of environmental issues on human health. As part of the conference, we will hold a separate session dedicated to health protection and the effects of nature and climate change on human health. These two topics are interconnected, and health-related issues are taking on an increasingly prominent role at all COP conferences. Today, countries are shaping their policies within the framework of the ‘One Health’ concept. This means that human health, animal health and, more broadly, the health of nature and our environment cannot be considered separately; they must be addressed within a single framework,” the Armenian minister of health said.

Asked whether she considered it a serious problem that many pandemics result from human intervention, the improper treatment of nature and the careless treatment of wildlife, Avanesyan responded:

“Of course. Climate change also contributes to the increased prevalence of certain infectious diseases and diseases transmitted to humans by insects or animals. This is a very important challenge, and health systems must build resilience to it. Human impact on nature must also be such that we preserve what we have inherited and pass it on to future generations.”

Türkiye’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Ibrahim Yumakli is participating in the COP17 Leaders’ Summit and will deliver a national statement during the plenary session, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Armenia Robert Abisoghomonyan told reporters at a briefing.

He said that the summit program includes plenary sessions and two roundtable discussions involving heads of state and government and representatives of international organizations. The roundtables will focus on political messages on biodiversity and financial issues, while participants will deliver national statements during the plenary sessions.

“We hope that the Leaders’ Summit will contribute to further discussions and help address the challenges facing the sector,” Abisoghomonyan said.

He noted that the summit is expected to conclude with the adoption of the Yerevan Call to Action declaration.

Abisoghomonyan said that in recent months, Armenia’s COP17 presidency had been working to reach agreement on the Yerevan Declaration.

“We believe that an inclusive document has been developed, in which we have tried to take into account the responses of all stakeholders. We hope that these discussions will contribute to more effective further work,” he said.

According to the deputy minister, the final document is intended to serve as a message from leaders to guide further discussions within the COP framework.

Abisoghomonyan said that more than 30 documents are expected to be discussed within the framework of COP17. If adopted, the obligations set out in them will be binding on the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Referring to the Armenian prime minister’s meetings, Abisoghomonyan said that meetings with leaders of various countries and other guests were planned.

Armenia’s government and citizens have a debt to repay to the state, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in his opening remarks at the COP17 Leaders’ Summit in Yerevan.

“This is a special topic for the Government of the Republic of Armenia, and we feel a special responsibility toward our nature. During difficult times for Armenia, our nature saved us, and we had the misfortune of abusing it. In the 1990s, the country found itself under blockade; there was insufficient electricity, gas or coal, and people heated their homes mainly with wood. Under these conditions, mass deforestation began in Armenia’s forests, becoming one of the profitable businesses amid the near-total absence of normal economic activity. Thus, thousands of hectares of forests and green areas were cut down in Armenia, and poaching became widespread, causing severe damage to our nature and biodiversity. A similar situation arose at Lake Sevan: in the early 1990s, when import and production chains had broken down and there were daily food shortages in Armenia, the fish stocks of Lake Sevan came to our rescue,” the Prime Minister said at the summit held under the “Leaders for Nature” motto.

Pashinyan noted that after becoming Prime Minister as a result of the 2018 revolution, one of his first instructions was to halt illegal logging.

“Protests began in my birthplace, Tavush, because many people were making a living through illegal logging, continuing the practices of the 1990s. On this occasion, I visited the village of Haghartsin, my father’s village. People were very aggressive, and I tried to explain to them that preserving the forest could earn them much more than logging. One or two years later, many people engaged in illegal logging changed their line of work. Using the same vehicles they had used to transport wood to markets, they began transporting tourists into forests and mountains to show them the wildlife,” Pashinyan said.

The Prime Minister of Armenia emphasized that significant work had also been carried out to preserve biodiversity.

“Over the past 10 years, the total stock of whitefish in Lake Sevan has increased more than tenfold, reaching over 4,500 tons after having been on the verge of extinction. The Caucasian leopard was considered an endangered species in Armenia; today, its population in the country is estimated at 6–7 individuals, and two cubs were also recorded in 2024,” the Prime Minister said.

Pashinyan noted that it was a great honor for Armenia to host the Leaders’ Summit and the COP17 conference. The Prime Minister expressed hope that the event would be effective and contribute to protecting the biodiversity of planet Earth.

Minister of High-Tech Industry and Artificial Intelligence Davit Tadevosyan held a meeting with Fabrizio Zarcone, World Bank Country Manager for Armenia.

According to the Ministry, the meeting discussed opportunities to develop cooperation in the fields of high-tech industry, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and telecommunications, as well as in the digital transformation of state information systems.

The Minister emphasized the importance of continuing and deepening the effective cooperation established with the World Bank, highlighting the role of the Vanadzor and Gyumri technology centers, as well as the Engineering City, in the development of STEM.

Tadevosyan presented the Ministry’s priority programs and initiatives, addressing the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence Office, the use of AI tools to improve the efficiency of public administration, the introduction of language AI tools for Armenian, as well as enhancing the digital literacy of civil servants and ensuring the responsible use of artificial intelligence.

The meeting also addressed opportunities for developing the technology ecosystem, particularly the creation of shared production spaces for technology companies and the use of financing instruments. In the context of infrastructure development, the issues of migrating state information systems to a cloud environment and developing telecommunications infrastructure were highlighted as important.

Fabrizio Zarcone highly praised the pace and scale of the reforms being implemented in Armenia. The parties agreed to continue cooperation on the implementation of innovative and research initiatives and priority programs.