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Yerevan, Armenia – October 15, 2026 – The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity commenced its preliminary events in Yerevan, drawing significant international attention. The city is hosting numerous heads of state and the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, leading to special traffic and security regimes across the capital.
COP17: A Global Gathering in Yerevan
The COP17 conference, focusing on biodiversity, is set to feature a Leaders’ Summit on October 16, with official sessions and the main program running from October 19 to 30. Media reports indicate over 15,000 guests have arrived in Armenia for the event. Among the notable attendees are President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, the President of Tajikistan, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of Georgia, and the President of Zanzibar.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also hosted the Secretary-General of the International Organization of La Francophonie. According to Environment Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan, who is also the COP17 President, Armenia has submitted four specific proposals for biodiversity conservation, including the protection of mountain ecosystems. During a government briefing, Pashinyan stated that Turkey would participate in COP17 at a ministerial level, but he had not received confirmation of Azerbaijan’s participation.
Media Focus and Protests
The media’s attention has largely been on the closed streets, traffic jams, the ban on drone flights around the “Meridian” complex from October 16-30, and a protest by displaced Artsakh residents near the Government building. Protesters demanded the release of Armenian prisoners held in Baku, while environmental activists brought attention to the Amulsar issue to delegates.
Conflicting Narratives:
- Pro-government: Pashinyan emphasized that COP17 is a crucial investment for Armenia, and the government has established procedures within UN frameworks to manage corruption risks. He stated that “every penny spent will go into the pockets of Armenian citizens and return to the state budget.”
- Opposition and Civil Society: The opposition continues to criticize the conference’s organizational expenses. Protesters used the conference as an opportunity to demand the release of Armenian prisoners and ensure the return of Artsakh residents.
Pashinyan on Peace Agreement, Enclaves, and Artsvashen
In a briefing after a government session, Prime Minister Pashinyan declared that his most important task is to sign and ratify a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan by 2031, coinciding with the end of his mandate. Regarding enclaves, Pashinyan suggested that if Azerbaijani territory lies between Artsvashen and Armenia, the settlement “should be moved, a little to the right or a little to the left,” to eliminate the intervening territory. He confirmed that the topic of enclaves was discussed with Aliyev in Turkmenistan. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated on the same day that a potential exchange of territories is a matter requiring a “nationwide vote,” and “it cannot be avoided.”
Media Emphasis and Criticisms
Headlines primarily focused on the “by 2031” deadline and the statement about “moving” Artsvashen. Mirzoyan’s clarification on a referendum also received widespread coverage.
Conflicting Narratives:
- Pro-government: Signing and ratifying a peace agreement are priorities, and the enclave issue must be resolved through territorial exchange or other options requiring a referendum.
- Critical: Taguhi Ghazaryan interpreted the statement as “Artsvashen to Azerbaijan, 3 enclaves to Armenia.” Critical publications also featured phrases like “Apparently, the homeland is not being conceded, but exchanged” and “Do not move Artsvashen from its place.” Another analysis claimed that a late signing of the agreement benefits Pashinyan.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres in Yerevan
UN Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Armenia to participate in the COP17 Leaders’ Summit. Pashinyan hosted him at the Government building, noting that Guterres is the second UN Secretary-General to visit Armenia. Guterres also visited Matenadaran. In a joint press conference, when asked about Armenian prisoners held in Baku, he responded that he is a “great supporter of the peace agreement” and urged all parties to implement all provisions of the agreement as quickly as possible, “which also includes the issue of detainees.”
Media Coverage and Reactions
Guterres’s remarks that Armenia “has shown extraordinary diplomatic capacity” and his expression of “sincere pain” regarding the prisoner issue were widely reported.
Conflicting Narratives:
- Official: The visit was presented as recognition of Armenia’s international role and the peace process.
- Critical: Some media outlets reported that Guterres “avoided” directly calling on Baku and questioned why the UN is “turning a blind eye” to Baku’s actions.
OSCE Acting Chairman-in-Office Ignazio Cassis’s Visit
Ignazio Cassis, the OSCE Acting Chairman-in-Office and Head of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, met with Mirzoyan and Pashinyan in Yerevan. In a joint press conference, he stated that Switzerland is ready to support the peace agreement signing process “if both sides want it.” Cassis welcomed the dynamic created by the preliminary signing of the agreement but noted that challenges remain, particularly in humanitarian issues. Mirzoyan stated that perceptions and expectations of the OSCE in Armenia are changing. He also said that the Armenian-Turkish border could open sooner than the parties agree on the appointment of new envoys.
Media Highlights and Aliyev’s Remarks
The media highlighted Cassis’s statements that “peace is already a fact” and “humanitarian challenges remain,” as well as Ilham Aliyev’s statement in Baku on the same day that the OSCE Minsk Group “was formal in nature.”
Gagik Tsarukyan’s Case Trial Begins
The trial of BHK leader Gagik Tsarukyan and eight other defendants began at the “Avan” residence of the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction of First Instance, presided over by Judge Manvel Shahverdyan. The session started about an hour late. The prosecutor moved to remove Tsarukyan’s lawyer, Yerem Sargsyan, from the proceedings, but the court found no grounds for it. The court did not address Tsarukyan’s pre-trial detention, noting that there are still 20 days left until its term expires. According to the Investigative Committee, Tsarukyan organized and led a criminal group that committed large-scale fraud and money laundering in transactions with Iranian partners.
Media Focus and Tsarukyan’s Statement
Tsarukyan’s statement in court, “It’s a fabricated, concocted case, I am 100 percent innocent,” was widely republished. Attention was also paid to the gathering of supporters outside the court and posters in Yerevan in his defense.
Conflicting Narratives:
- Accusation: Tsarukyan’s group fraudulently embezzled property from Iranian companies and legalized criminal proceeds.
- Defense: The indictment does not comply with the law and does not include exculpatory evidence. The defense claims that it was not Tsarukyan who embezzled, but rather his Iranian partners who embezzled at least $14.5 million from him.
Other Significant News
- Aliyev on Former Armenian Leaders: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated at the 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku that all three former presidents of Armenia and their supporters are “war criminals” and “have not yet received deserved punishment.” He also recalled the current Armenian Prime Minister’s statement, “Karabakh is Armenia, and that’s it,” and called the OSCE Minsk Group a “fiction.”
- Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA): The government recognized 100% of the shares of “Electric Networks of Armenia” CJSC as a public priority interest. According to Pashinyan, “we have reached our main destination.” According to David Khudatyan, the price to be paid to the owners will be determined by appraisal, and they have the right to order their own appraisal.
- Railways: Pashinyan signed a decision to create a working group with “Russian Railways,” which must find solutions to the problems of concession management of the “South Caucasian Railway” within three months. According to the Prime Minister, “we inherently have no problem with the Russian concession, our problem is that our railway should be competitive.”
- Rubinyan in Rome: NA President Ruben Rubinyan met with the heads of the French, Lithuanian, and Luxembourgish parliaments within the framework of the Conference of Speakers of Parliaments of the Council of Europe.
- Pezeshkian: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will arrive in Armenia on October 16 for a short visit to participate in COP17.
- Lavrov: The Russian Foreign Minister stated in Baku that Russia had not received an application to participate in the “Trump’s Path” project and proposed holding the next meeting of the “3+3” format in Azerbaijan.
- “Zvartnots”: By government decision, temporary control will be exercised at the airport to prevent the Bundibugyo (Ebola) virus from entering Armenia.
- Sisian: Police arrested a 44-year-old man on suspicion of violence against his minor daughter; criminal proceedings have been initiated.
- Prime Minister’s Awards: The government is establishing a procedure for budgeting the Prime Minister’s monetary awards, including the $500,000 Zayed Award and the €25,000 Hessen Peace Prize.
Source: https://hraparak.am/am/post/e7d74f3e7084da5fa8f6109f7b1c9d9f
