Armenia is looking to turn shared environmental challenges into opportunities for regional cooperation, with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan highlighting the potential for stronger ties with neighbouring countries through biodiversity protection.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has stressed the importance of Yerevan hosting the COP17 biodiversity summit following the end of more than three decades of conflict with Azerbaijan.
“The domestic impact of the conflict on biodiversity is evident to us,” Pashinyan said during a discussion at the Leaders’ Summit ahead of COP17 in Yerevan.
Pashinyan said the conflict and the energy crisis that followed had taken a heavy toll on Armenia's environment, with thousands of hectares of forest cleared and widespread poaching pushing fish stocks in Lake Sevan close to depletion.
He also warned that the largely unplanned construction of military fortifications along borders had damaged natural habitats and created further threats to biodiversity.
Forests are often cleared to meet defence needs, while military infrastructure disrupts ecosystems. Landmines pose another serious threat, killing wildlife in explosions, he said.
Pashinyan stressed that the environmental damage caused by armed conflict extends beyond national borders, undermining opportunities for neighbouring countries to work together on conservation.
Looking ahead to closer ties with Azerbaijan, Pashinyan said environmental protection could become a key area of cooperation following the ratification of the peace agreement initialled by both countries.
“Environmental issues are part of the peace process, and after the peace agreement initialed with Azerbaijan is ratified, environmental issues will be addressed more extensively,” he said.
He revealed that discussions were already underway to explore joint efforts to manage shared water resources and protect biodiversity.
“We share rivers that originate in one country and continue through the territory of another. Biodiversity is something that connects countries, and there is great opportunity and potential for cooperation in this area,” he said.
Pashinyan also expressed optimism about environmental cooperation with Türkiye, noting that the two neighbours have a history of working together on environmental issues despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations.
“We have a very positive dialogue, and I am confident that we will achieve historic changes in this area as well in the near future,” Pashinyan said.
He pointed to previous cooperation on water resource management as an example of how shared environmental challenges could help bring neighbouring countries closer together.
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