YEREVAN - Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed the "Leaders for Nature" Summit today, Friday, October 16, 2026, held in Yerevan ahead of the UN COP17 Biodiversity Conference. His speech focused on the deep intersections between armed conflict, regional peace, and environmental preservation.

Key takeaways from Pashinyan's address include:

• The Ecological Toll of War: Pashinyan detailed the severe domestic impact that the more than thirty-year conflict with Azerbaijan has had on regional biodiversity. He noted that the construction of uncontrolled defensive fortifications altering natural environments, vast minefields where wildlife frequently blow up, and defensive logging create lasting environmental destruction.
• "Repaying a Debt to Nature": He recalled the post-independence early 1990s energy crisis when economic desperation led to severe deforestation, rampant poaching, and the near-collapse of fish stocks in Lake Sevan. Pashinyan emphasized that while Armenia's nature saved the population during its darkest times, the country now has a fundamental responsibility to protect and restore it.
• Environmentalism as a Bridge to Peace: Pashinyan emphasized that conflicts inherently block crucial cross-border cooperation on biodiversity issues. He argued that environmental challenges are interconnected among neighboring nations and stated that environmental issues will be addressed extensively as part of the broader peace process following the ratification of a peace agreement with Azerbaijan.
• Conservation Success Stories: Pashinyan pointed to measurable domestic environmental recovery projects, highlighting that total whitefish stocks in Lake Sevan have increased over tenfold to 4,500 tons, while the critically endangered Caucasian leopard population has stabilized to around six–seven individuals, including the tracking of two cubs in late 2024.