President Vahagn Khachaturyan's working visit to French Republic

Within the framework of his working visit to Nice, France, President of the Republic Vahagn Khachaturyan delivered a speech at the opening session of the Third UN Ocean Conference.

The President’s speech:

“It is a great honor for me to participate in the 2025 UN Ocean Conference held in this beautiful city.

Let me congratulate the host, the Government of France, and the co-chair, Costa Rica, on organizing this important conference and for all their efforts toward its success.

In this decade of action toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, despite the climate and biodiversity commitments undertaken by states and other stakeholders, the holding of this conference is both urgent and timely. In the global processes aimed at protecting the environment, it can be stated with confidence that ocean ecosystems are unique in nature and are also closely interconnected with other ecosystems.

The role of oceans is vital for coastal and island countries. They are a crucial source of biodiversity and serve as massive carbon sinks, helping to mitigate the negative effects of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change.

Nevertheless, like other environmental ecosystems, oceans, regardless of their remoteness or immense depth, are bearing the negative consequences of unsustainable human behavior.

Climate change, pollution, and ecosystem degradation directly affect our oceans, leading to plastic pollution, acidification, and irreversible damage to marine biodiversity and food systems.

At the same time, the melting of ice sheets leads to rising sea levels, creating existential challenges for small, developing island states. Armenia supports all international efforts aimed at preserving and protecting ocean ecosystems as an integral part of our global environmental heritage. We eagerly await the adoption of a Convention on Plastic Pollution, which could become a cornerstone of global efforts to protect the ocean.

We similarly maintain a positive stance toward the recently adopted agreement on Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) and have already initiated internal processes for its ratification. Although Armenia is a landlocked developing country, issues related to oceans are highly relevant for us. We support cooperation on ocean affairs because we believe in multilateral collaboration, the interconnectedness of natural ecosystems, and our shared responsibility in preserving the planet’s biodiversity.

The link between terrestrial and marine ecosystems is clear. The health of our oceans depends on how we treat our rivers, lakes, and mountainous environments.

As is often said, what happens in the mountains does not stay in the mountains. The melting of glaciers, soil degradation, and pollution in highland areas inevitably find their way to lowlands, directly impacting our ocean ecosystems. Therefore, the ocean crisis is not only a coastal issue, it is a continental one as well.

Solutions must begin in the mountains and spread across the continents before reaching coastal areas and islands. In this context, the need for inclusive and accessible financing is evident, particularly for landlocked and vulnerable countries, so that all nations can contribute meaningfully to the environmental agenda.

Furthermore, as the presiding country of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Armenia is committed to advancing this global agenda. In this regard, we firmly believe that the BBNJ agreement can become a vital element in our collective efforts to preserve global biodiversity.

Armenia also looks forward to the consensual adoption of the political declaration of the UN Ocean Conference, which would represent another important step toward strengthening international cooperation and shared commitments for the protection of ocean ecosystems.

In conclusion, I call on all countries, developed and developing, coastal, island, or landlocked, to reaffirm their commitment to the protection and preservation of our planet, so that future generations may also benefit from the blessings of our Mother Earth.”

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During his working visit to France, President Vahagn Khachaturyan met with Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, within the framework of the Third UN Ocean Conference.

During the meeting, organizational and substantive issues related to the COP-17 conference of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, scheduled to be held in Yerevan next year, were discussed. The importance of such major international events was emphasized in the context of promoting international cooperation on environmental and global challenges.

The President reaffirmed Armenia’s commitment to organizing the conference at a high level, stressing that hosting such a platform is both a great honor and a responsible and obliging mission for the country.

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Within the framework of his working visit to the French Republic, President of the Republic Vahagn Khachaturyan met with the President of the Republic of Iraq, Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid.

During the meeting, a number of issues related to the Armenia-Iraq bilateral agenda were discussed. Both sides emphasized the need to deepen political dialogue and practical cooperation, based on the dynamic development of Armenian-Iraqi relations and mutual interest.

The interlocutors also touched upon regional developments and issues related to peace and stability, highlighting the importance of fostering effective partnerships and mutual trust.

The sides stressed the importance of expanding bilateral economic cooperation, particularly in the fields of trade, investment, and other areas of mutual interest. In this context, the necessity of establishing direct flights between Yerevan and Baghdad was highlighted as a key tool for promoting political, economic, and tourism-related ties.

The Presidents also discussed the potential for revitalizing the work of intergovernmental commissions with the aim of deepening sectoral cooperation and laying a practical foundation for the implementation of new initiatives.

Additionally, the interlocutors addressed the organizational and substantive aspects of the COP-17 conference of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, which will be held in Armenia in 2026, underscoring the importance of such events in tackling global challenges.

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During his working visit to the French Republic, President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan took part in a panel discussion titled “From Mountains to Oceans: Preserving Biodiversity Beyond Environmental Boundaries for a Sustainable Future”, organized within the framework of the Third UN Ocean Conference.

The high-level discussion was opened with a speech by Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ararat Mirzoyan.

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As part of his working visit to France, the President of the Republic, Vahagn Khachaturyan, visited the Holy Mother of God Church in Nice.

After being welcomed by the church’s spiritual leader, Fr. Khachatur, the President laid flowers at the khachkar dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide, toured the church, and then visited the Parsamyan Educational Complex located adjacent to the Holy Mother of God Church.

President Vahagn Khachaturyan toured the school, interacted with the children, and attended a cultural event organized by the students.

Following the event, the President held a meeting with representatives of the Armenian community of Nice in the hall of the educational complex.

At the beginning of the meeting, the President briefly presented the domestic and regional developments, spoke about the reforms and initiatives undertaken by the Armenian government in recent years across various sectors, and responded in a candid atmosphere to questions raised by the attendees.

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Within the framework of his working visit to France, the President of the Republic, Vahagn Khachaturyan, visited the “Sophia Antipolis” technology park, located near Nice, which is considered one of Europe’s leading technology centers.

The President was welcomed by the center’s president, Jean-Pierre, and the technopark’s CEO, Philippe Servetti, who presented the main areas of the technopark’s activities, its innovative potential, and prospects for development.

During the visit, the President toured the center and familiarized himself with the work of the companies operating there.

Currently, “Sophia Antipolis” brings together around 2,500 prominent companies, making it one of the largest platforms for technological and scientific collaboration in Europ