The Mining Armenia Forum is being held for the third year in a row and is the most representative platform for stakeholder dialogue in the country. It is primarily a link between the Armenian government and subsoil users, although service companies, suppliers, and laboratories are also among the participants. Since virtually all representatives of the sector are involved in the event to one degree or another, its significance is difficult to overestimate. Roman Khudoliy, General Director (CEO) of the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine (ZCMC), on Saturday told this to reporters on the sidelines of the Mining Armenia Forum 2026 in Tsaghkadzor, Armenia.

“For a very long time, the mining sector of Armenia was neglected. Only in the last five to eight years have we begun to feel that the [Armenian] government and the state have radically changed their attitude [toward the mining sector]. Our voice has finally been heard.

The driving force of Armenia’s economy is the mining industry, and it will remain so in the future. The potential of the sector is underestimated, and there are still many problems to be solved in order for it to be fully realized.

Figures were voiced during the forum, according to which, taking into account the multiplier effect, the sector will account for 10-11% of [Armenia’s] GDP in 2027. This is a rather large indicator, and we are ready to increase these amounts even more,” Khudoliy said.

He emphasized the importance of geology, noting that without exploration geology and the further development of the mineral resource base, further development is simply impossible.

“This is the basis of everything. But to solve this problem, it is necessary to radically change the attitude towards exploration licenses and adopt new laws [in Armenia]. In addition to legislative changes, certain guarantees and a new approach to working with investors are required. Environmental and sustainable development issues cannot be separated; this is a complex issue that must be solved only in a systematic way.

Such broad participation in the forum is important precisely because specialists from various domains listen to each other, which will lay the foundation for progress," concluded the general director of the ZCMC.

The co-organizers of Mining Armenia Forum 2026 are the Mining Forum Development Foundation and the Armenian Mining and Metallurgy Association. The strategic sponsors of the forum, which is being held for the third time, are the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine and the Lydian Armenia company, and the main sponsors are Ameriabank and Teghout CJSC.