Despoina-Ino Afentouli, Executive Director, Institute of International Relations, right, and Colonel (Retired) Robert E. Hamilton, Head of Eurasia Research, Foreign Policy Research Institute

APRI Think Tank Holds ‘Building Tomorrow’ Forum in Yerevan

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YEREVAN — The Applied Policy Research Institute of Armenia (APRI), a think tank based in Yerevan, held its annual forum on June 26–28, on the theme “Building Tomorrow.”

In three days of back-to-back sessions, the conference brought together policymakers, academics, civil society representatives, and diplomats.

In the opening session on June 26, Armenia’s Secretary of the National Security Council, Armen Grigoryan, spoke about Armenia’s “pivot to the world,” describing a strategy of foreign policy diversification that is reshaping the country’s geopolitical and security partnerships. Other high-ranking officials included the Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, Paruyr Hovhannissyan, who spoke with Ambassador Rainer Rudolph, vice chairman of the Munich Security Conference,  about the complex security needs of small states. Colonel Zhirayr Amirkhanyan, assistant to the Chief of General Staff of the Armenian Ministry of Defense, returned to the APRI Forum stage to discuss Armenia’s military reforms and the emerging balance of global engagement.

Armen Grigoryan, Secretary, Security Council of Armenia, right, with Lara Setrakian, President, APRI Armenia

The APRI Forum was a catalyst for discussion of Armenia’s new country partners, including a close look at the rise of “GIFA” — Greece, India, France, and Armenia — as a critical group of partners in the security of the South Caucasus.

Speakers from all four countries affirmed the need to further develop modes of collaboration in various fields. In other dedicated sessions experts addressed Armenia’s relations with Russia, India, Iran, the Arab world, the United States, and the European Union. Additional focus was concentrated on Armenia’s growing relationship with Saudi Arabia after the signing of diplomatic relations between the two countries last year.

From right, Gagik Aghajanyan, CEO, Apaven; Hrant Mikayelyan, Director, Armenian Research Institute; Dinkar Prakash Srivastava, Independent Scholar and Advisor on Oil, Gas, LNG, Port & Connectivity Issues

In a critically important look at foreign direct investment as a vector for stability and growth, Léa Hakim, Senior Country Economist for Armenia at the World Bank, gave a keynote interview on how Armenia can better engage investors from around the globe. Her talk was followed by a panel discussion with speakers from Amber Capital, Ameria Management Advisory, and ICC Armenia, as well as remarks from Rafayel Grigoryan, Deputy Chairman of the State Revenue Committee.

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As in the past editions of the conference, the 2024 APRI Forum featured varied sessions on sustainability and responsible resource management, with discussions shaped in partnership with the American University of Armenia Acopian Center for the Environment. This year’s sessions looked at the rise of clean energy and e-mobility in Armenia, agricultural reform as a driver of prosperity, and the pressing need for strategic environmental diplomacy. The topic of responsible mining was also featured, with a critical look at the environmental realities and the revenue-generating opportunities of Armenia’s valuable resource deposits.

The forum also held a session on the future of people from Nagorno-Karabakh. Three civil society leaders from Nagorno-Karabakh shared their concerns about the dire conditions facing refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, with specific suggestions addressed to the Armenian government, nonprofit organizations, embassies, and intergovernmental organizations to develop more efficient humanitarian programs.

In line with its mission, the 2024 APRI Forum created constructive, collaborative dialogue to support the development of Armenia through shared expertise, emerging ideas, and accelerated networking.

“It is our mission to support problem-solving and systems strengthening in Armenia,” said Lara Setrakian, the President of APRI Armenia. “We feel it is a vitally important time to remember that beyond the noise and turbulence of these times we must keep building with excellence for the benefit of future generations.”

 

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