Addressing a panel discussion today at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said that while Armenia is a landlocked developing country with a mostly mountainous terrain, it shares a common concern for the conservation of marine biodiversity.

Mirzoyan delivered the opening remarks at the event titled “From Mountains to Oceans: Conserving Biodiversity Beyond Environmental Boundaries for a Sustainable Future.”

“We also believe that the protection and conservation of marine ecosystems are intricately linked to what we do on land and in mountains, as they have multiple impacts on marine ecosystems,” Mirzoyan said.

Armenia organized today’s event as host and chair of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, COP17, and by France as host and co-chair of the 3rd United Nations Conference on Ocean Affairs.

“We need a revised understanding that environmental challenges are not isolated phenomena; they affect us all, whether we are in the mountains or in the depths of the oceans, and we need to rethink our attitude towards nature itself and renew our commitment to environmental action,” Mirzoyan said.