Armenian Minister of Environment Hambardzum Matevosyan met with the Czech Republic’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia, Petr Pirunčik, to discuss a wide range of sectoral issues.

The meeting focused on the two-year Twinning project, “Enhanced Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in Armenia in Line with European Standards”, implemented under the Ministry of Environment and financed by the European Union. The project has been jointly carried out by the Czech Republic and Finland.

Minister Matevosyan highlighted the program’s significant contribution to improving Armenia’s environmental governance system, particularly in biodiversity conservation and the effective management of protected areas. He emphasized that the new legislative approaches and management mechanisms developed under the Twinning project will help Armenia fulfill its commitments under the Armenia–EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

The parties also discussed ensuring the continuity of the program and deepening future cooperation. In this context, collaboration and joint initiatives within the framework of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (#CoP17) were highlighted.

Ambassador Pirunčik praised the partnership between Armenia and the Czech Republic in the environmental field and reaffirmed that the Czech Republic is ready to continue supporting Armenia’s environmental reforms, especially in implementing EU standards and sustainable development principles.

Mechanisms for engaging civil society and the private sector were also discussed to ensure effective implementation of environmental policies, strengthen public awareness, and promote participatory governance.

Both Hambardzum Matevosyan and Petr Pirunčik expressed confidence that bilateral cooperation will contribute to the institutional development of Armenia’s environmental sector, exchange of international experience, and expansion of joint initiatives, benefiting environmental protection and sustainable development goals.