Monday, May 26 2025 13:11

ArmInfo.  Below is Opening speech by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan at the Yerevan Dialogue 2025. 

Honorable Mr. President of the Republic of Armenia,

Honorable Mr. Prime Minister,

Honorable President of the National Assembly, 

Dear Ministers, Deputies,  

Excellencies, Distinguished Guests,

  It is with great honor that I welcome you to Yerevan for the second  edition of the Yerevan Dialogue. We are deeply proud to host you in  our capital for a forum that aspires to be more than a conference - a  platform for reflection, cooperation, and foresight.

You just watched on the screen how we portrayed some recent  world-changing developments under the title "Navigating the Unknown"  only two weeks ago. It is obvious how much of an update is needed in  just two weeks, how many new significant events happened, and it is  still unknown how these events will unfold tomorrow. While we  witnessed certain positive and encouraging developments, we also  observed how many deals were or were not agreed upon. It is still  unknown how many hybrid attacks were carried out in just 14 days, how  many homes were destroyed due to the ongoing conflicts and how many  lives were lost. 

This year's theme, "Navigating the Unknown," speaks directly to the  spirit of our time. The world is undergoing seismic changes in its  geopolitics, its economies, its technologies, and its climate.  Nations are losing their compass in the current turmoil. And only one  thing is certain about those changes - we all know that the path  shaped by these changes and the final destination still remain a huge  Unknown.

Over the past few years, we have been talking a lot about  uncertainties, unusual phenomena and developments in the world,  things that no one could believe would happen after World War II. 

The foundations of the once-established international order are under  strain. Principles of international law, among others, territorial  integrity and inviolability of borders, once held as sacred, have  lost their weight.  They seem now to be just beautiful words coined  in declarations and charters, very often useless. 

Alliances are losing their coherence, once-unshakable bonds are  shattering. Interests of former adversaries are unexpectedly getting  closer, leaving the treaty-bound allies vulnerable and changing the  mosaic. 

International consensus is fraying amid rising geopolitical tensions.  Rhetoric involving nuclear threats has re-emerged in global  discourse, bringing back some of the deepest fears of the last  century.

The EU, born as a regional economic integration community, but  primarily as a peace project, is considering a plan to ReArm Europe,  aiming at a significant increase of the defense budget. 

We are witnessing deep wounds of humanitarian crisis - where famine  grips communities, supply chains are disrupted, and the shadows of  terrorism, hate speech and intolerance threaten the very fabric of  human dignity and coexistence. Ethnic cleansing is not a distant  horror - it is happening before our eyes, and we have seen it  firsthand, at our borders.  The suffering in Ukraine and Gaza is not  isolated - it also reflects broader systemic failures.

What was once a phantom of hybrid war has now become an undeniable  reality. Disinformation and fake news become weapons capable of  damaging the very fundamentals of democracy. 

Trade wars are intensifying, fueled by the imposition of  unprecedented tariffs. 

The race for mastering artificial intelligence increasingly leaves  the ethical aspect behind, eliminating safeguards and bypassing  oversight, thus deepening the unease over the unpredictable future. 

The search for new energy sources is accelerating, with the potential  to reshape the global economy and the daily lives of millions. 

The climate no longer follows familiar patterns, melting one year,  freezing the next.

So, humanity is facing a great Unknown. 

Understandably, this creates an impression of chaos and provokes a  sense of panic among individuals, families and nations. But this is  not the first time we are passing through the "Unknown".  

Just recently, in the days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the scale and  fear of human loss surged dramatically and suddenly, transforming  everything from interpersonal relationships and livelihoods to work  structures and even the way we think. No one knew what the  post-pandemic world would look like, yet history reminds us that the  world has faced such severe epidemics also before, on different  scales and in a different information age - the Black Death and the  Spanish flu, to mention a few.

The two World Wars, despite their catastrophic human cost, stimulated  technological innovations that revolutionized medicine,  communication, and transportation.

-Today, artificial intelligence, which is transforming industries,  eliminating professions and redefining the nature of work itself,  reminds us of the times of the Industrial Revolution, when the first  manufacturing techniques appeared.

Nowadays, the simple fact that the Earth revolves around the Sun was  once a tremendous discovery, which challenged the whole worldview.  This "unknown" was so unbelievable and frightening that one of the  proponents of this theory, Giordano Bruno, was even burned at the  stake. 

The discovery of new continents and territories, such as the  Americas, revealed yet another dimension of the unknown, reshaping  global consciousness. 

From the explorers who crossed uncharted oceans to our earliest  ancestors who went beyond familiar hunting grounds, humanity has  always stood at the edge of uncertainty. 

Our exploration of the unknown stretches back to early Homo sapiens,  who, by chance, unlocked the power of a very dangerous unknown - the  fire. 

So, this is not the end of the world. And if some people think we're  facing the end of the world or describe our current reality as such,  then perhaps this is simply one of many "ends of the world" we've  survived before.

Humanity has consistently demonstrated what Nassim Nicholas Taleb  calls "antifragility" - we do not merely survive stress tests, we  emerge stronger - "the resilient resists shocks and stays the same;  the antifragile gets better." That's even the case on a personal  level: each of us has become stronger and antifragile after  overcoming a crisis, shock or a personal tragic event.

We have feared scientific progress, only to find ourselves in more  comfortable environments, living healthier and longer. We have more  knowledge, better tools, and stronger ways to connect globally than  ever before. And indeed, in many measures, we live today in the most  advanced era in human history.  

Yes, the uncertainty we face today is big, but we are more prepared  than any generation before. Moreover, tectonic changes also bring up  opportunities for progressive development, if we are smart and wise  enough to illuminate the path forward and navigate the Unknown.  

Dear friends,

Armenia clearly identified the path forward: to overcome  confrontation and promote cooperation, foster better connectivity and  drive sustainable economic growth, enhance adaptability and  innovation, strengthen democracy and the rule of law, focusing on the  development of human capital. Creating such an environment for our  citizens is a strategic priority for Armenia. 

At the same time, we believe the opportunities ahead of us lie in the  restoration of respect for international law, reinforcing the synergy  between the moral compass - commitment to the core values, and in the  ability to make bold decisions. 

In our region, we are making a defining choice: to build a future  shaped not by the grievances of the past, but by a vision full of  optimism and hope, anchored on real opportunities. 

The history is known. It can not be forgotten. It cannot be  rewritten, including through false narratives some may seek to  promote. While the scars remain and healing is ongoing, we shall move  ahead towards a better future.

Yet we know that peace is not an easy achievement - it is a  continuous process, driven by courageous diplomacy, mutual  understanding and trust building.

Armenia's vision is clear: normalization of relations with two of our  neighbors with full respect of each other's sovereignty and   territorial integrity, unequivocal rejection of territorial claims by  any party, and deepening traditionally friendly relations with the  others. 

As we navigate an evolving geopolitical landscape, Armenia remains  steadfast in strengthening its partnerships also beyond the region.  We have established solid and strategic partnerships - from the  United States, across Europe, and into Asia. 

At the same time, we have actively promoted enhanced, broader  connectivity, recognizing our country's unique position at a true  crossroads of civilizations and trade.

We are equally committed to contributing to global efforts in  addressing common challenges. Armenia's successful bid to host COP17  on Biodiversity in Yerevan, along with the recently announced  European Political Community summit in spring 2026, reflect our  growing responsibility and engagement on the international stage.

Dear guests, 

Today, we bring together decision-makers, thinkers, activists, and  entrepreneurs - not only to exchange ideas, but to generate  actionable insights. In this room, gathered from diverse nations and  disciplines, we possess ideas that are not just meant to respond to  the future but also to shape it. "Yerevan Dialogue" can foster  diverging, but also potentially converging answers, and what is more  important is to offer concrete formulas and solutions.

It comes as no surprise that this year, we've welcomed a dedicated  space for youth under the Young Fellows Program. The perspectives of  young leaders are not merely valuable - they are essential. Those who  will inherit tomorrow's world bring fresh approaches to today's  challenges. Their digital nativity, global connectivity, and  innovative thinking are precisely what we need.

To conclude, Navigating the unknown is not a solitary endeavour - it  is a shared journey. Armenia extends its hand to all who are ready to  walk this path with integrity, imagination, and a common vision of a  world that embraces inclusion over isolation, wisdom over ignorance,  and cooperation over confrontation.

Wishing us all thoughtful and impactful conversations throughout  these two days.

Thank you.