At a conference in Yerevan today addressing the plight of Armenia’s endangered forests, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that his government has allocated some 424 million drams (US$890,000) to launch a massive reforestation program that seeks to double the amount of forests in the country by 2050.

Pashinyan made the statement at the Forest Summit: Global Action and Armenia conference, organized by the Armenia Tree Project and the Acopian Center for Environmental Studies (American University of Armenia), which took place at the American University of Armenia.

“I am pleased to be present at the inaugural conference on forest restoration issues, attended by leading experts from around the world. I welcome everyone, all participants and speakers and I want to say, welcome to Armenia,” Pashinayn said addressing the attendees which included Alen Amirkhanyan, Director of the Hakobyan Center, Armenia Tree Project Executive Director Jeanmarie Papelian, Deputy Director Jason Sohigian, as well as philanthropist and public figure Carolyn Mugar.

Dr. Anthony Davis, Dean of the College of Forestry at the University of Oregon was the keynote speaker at today's event.

“Addressing environmental issues, in particular forest conservation and restoration, are among the priorities of our government. Unfortunately, our country has been facing the challenge of declining forest areas for a long time. This negative phenomenon was caused by several problems that emerged in the first years of our country's independence, in particular in the energy sector. However, the global trend of climate change has also increased as a decisive factor. As you know, environmental issues are not isolated problems. They almost always have a global impact and require concerted efforts to address them, and in this respect, events that provide a platform for exchanging ideas, exploring international experience and identifying potential partnerships are crucial,” Pashinyan said according to an Armenian government press release.

Pashinyan said his government plans to plant about 500,000 saplings on 140 hectares by the end of the year, and that the project has created about 1000 temporary jobs in the country.