The President of the Republic participated in a Panel Discussion

Within the framework of the UN World Summit for Social Development, President of the Republic Vahagn Khachaturyan took part in a multilateral panel discussion organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, titled "Engaging Nature-Based Solutions and Traditional Knowledge for Poverty Eradication."

The President delivered opening remarks at the event.

President's speech:

"Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

I am pleased to welcome you to this event organized by the Republic of Armenia.

I am grateful to the State of Qatar and all our partners for providing this platform to discuss the interlinkages between biodiversity conservation, poverty eradication, and sustainable development.

Today, one of humanity's most significant challenges is to eradicate poverty while protecting our biodiversity and ecosystems.

To address this challenge, traditional knowledge and nature-based solutions can pave a clear path toward poverty eradication by maintaining a harmonious relationship between people and nature. They remind us that sustainable development and conservation are not contradictory elements but rather two sides of the same coin. It is important to recognize and promote such best practices as effective tools to achieve the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, as well as to foster resilient and prosperous communities.

As the presiding and host country of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, Armenia is deeply committed to ensuring that this understanding shapes our collective path toward turning nature-based solutions into global action. By working together, bridging science, innovation, and tradition, we can make biodiversity conservation a driving force for social justice and poverty eradication.

I hope that today's discussion will contribute to identifying valuable ideas and solutions for this process.

Thank you."