Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan participated in the International Conference on Nature and Environmental Protection in Altai. The heads of governments of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan also attended the event.
In his speech, Prime Minister Pashinyan, in particular, noted:
"Dear Mikhail Vladimirovich,
Dear heads of delegations,
Ladies and gentlemen,
First of all, I would like to thank you for the invitation to participate in the international environmental conference and express my gratitude to the Head of the Government of the Russian Federation for the hospitality and for organizing today's event at such a high level.
It is symbolic that the discussion of this critical topic is taking place in Altai, renowned for its natural beauty.
Distinguished Heads of Delegation,
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
Armenia is a mountainous country, with 80% of its territory comprising high-mountainous regions. Our country is known for its diversity of climatic zones, from arid subtropical to alpine. Armenia has numerous endemic species of flora and fauna. Four national parks and three reserves occupy more than 10% of the country's territory. Among them is the Khosrov Reserve, which is based on an artificial forest, which was founded in the 4th century as a royal hunting ground. The pearl of Armenia, Lake Sevan, is the largest freshwater reservoir in the region.
The country's mountain ecosystems are highly vulnerable to climate change. Droughts and floods are becoming more frequent. Although Armenia's carbon dioxide emissions are extremely insignificant on a global scale, our country is one of the most affected by global warming. The consequences of climate change are expressed in the accelerated melting of glaciers, reduced precipitation, landslides, soil erosion, and desertification. The lack of water resources leads to a decrease in the efficiency of pastures and arable lands, as well as a reduction in forest resources. In this context, we emphasize the importance of increasing water use efficiency, introducing innovative technologies, and implementing drip irrigation programs.
For this reason, the Government of Armenia has approved the "Program for Climate Change Adaptation in the Water Resources Sector for 2022-2026". A new draft of the RA Law "On Climate" has been developed. The purpose of the draft law is to create a legal and institutional basis for the development and implementation of climate policy in the country.
In response to national needs and international obligations, the Government approved the National Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan and the List of Activities for 2021-2026 in May 2021. This approval defined the strategic framework for adaptation and its planning efforts in the country on a permanent and continuous basis for the future.
Armenia welcomes the cooperation of the EAEU member states within the framework of the climate agenda, as well as the Eurasian Low-Carbon Development Programs.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Recognizing the importance of preserving biodiversity, Armenia is implementing programs to restore wild animal populations. Since 2002, the Caucasian leopard population restoration program, implemented jointly with the World Wide Fund for Nature, has yielded significant results. The permanent residence and reproduction of cubs of this species in Armenia have already been documented, indicating stability in the habitat and food supply of the Caucasian leopard. The Fund is also implementing a program to restore the population of the Caucasian red deer in the Dilijan reserve.
Armenia also supports the UN agenda for mountain countries. We actively participate in the work of the Group of Friends of Mountain Countries within the UN framework, which Kyrgyzstan initiated. We have also joined the Kyrgyz side's "Mountain Partnership Group" initiative within the framework of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Climate Change. We hope that the group will become an active participant in the negotiation processes within the framework of the climate conference, for which we are prepared to contribute actively to the formation of the necessary agenda within the group.
Dear colleagues,
As you are aware, the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, COP17, is scheduled to take place in Armenia in 2026.
We look forward to the participation of high-level delegations from your countries, as well as representatives of academic and expert circles, in the work of COP17. As the chairing and host country, Armenia will make every effort to ensure an effective dialogue, bring the parties' positions closer together, and make balanced and meaningful decisions that take into account the interests and priorities of all parties.
We are confident that, together, we can make a significant contribution to global efforts to preserve biodiversity and rationally utilize the natural environment for the common good of our planet, guided by a spirit of responsibility.
Thank you for your attention."
