ArmInfo. An additional 2.641 billion drams will be allocated from the Government Reserve Fund to continue the efforts to host the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP-17) in Armenia in 2026. The decision was made at a Cabinet meeting on August 13.
Presenting the draft resolution, RA Minister of Environment Hambardzum Matevosyan noted that in October 2026, Armenia will host one of the world's most significant annual events: the 17th UN Biodiversity Conference. The event will bring together representatives from 196 countries and tens of thousands of participants from across the globe. A special leaders' forum featuring heads of state and government is scheduled to take place during the summit, culminating in the adoption of the Yerevan Declaration. Additionally, COP17 will feature an assessment of Armenia's implementation of the Montreal Convention, presenting a unique opportunity for the country to strengthen its standing in international environmental processes.
The minister noted that organizational work is currently in full swing. The newly introduced resolution serves as an amendment to the July 2, 2026, Armenian government decree that initially allocated funds for the event. Because pre-calculating exact costs beforehand is unfeasible, a framework agreement was established with international partners for procurement and organizational services. Under this framework, individual agreements are signed for each service group and subsequently submitted to the government to secure financing from the reserve fund.
According to the agreements signed with contractors, funding for each component is planned to be provided on an advance payment basis (90% upon signing the agreement and 10% upon reporting). The total value of the signed agreements amounts to 3,513,916.6 thousand drams, of which 873,119.1 thousand drams were financed from existing funds, and an additional 2,640,797.5 thousand drams must be allocated from the government's Reserve Fund to ensure the smooth organization of further work. These funds will be directed toward upgrading a 5,400-square-meter area to international standards, leasing necessary equipment and vehicles, and purchasing new furniture. Matevosyan emphasized that, in terms of the number of participants and scale, such an event has never been held in Armenia before. The country will chair the COP for the next two years.
In this regard, RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan noted that the upcoming event is expected to attract between 10,000 and 15,000 people, meaning a large influx of citizens is expected, which presents an excellent opportunity for the private sector to provide services and promote commercial offerings.
