At the personal invitation of U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, Minister of Environment Romanos Petrosyan participated in a ministerial roundtable. The event preceded the Global Leadership Summit on April 22, initiated by U.S. President Joe Biden as a sign of the new US Administration's readiness to join the global fight against climate change.
Ministers of about 60 states participated in the roundtable.
The choice of Armenia as a participating country is conditioned by its significant contribution to the climate negotiations, the active actions assumed by the country addressed to mitigating climate change adaptation.
Minister Petrosyan welcomed the participants of the discussion, noting that it was a great honor for our country to speak at such a high-level ministerial roundtable.
In his speech, the Minister expressed confidence that the ambitious goals set by the new US Administration and the bold steps taken will help to prevent the global climate crisis.

The problem in Armenia is more urgent, as we are considered the 4th most vulnerable country to climate change in the region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, already recording a rise in temperature of 1.3°C and a 9% reduction in precipitation.
The Minister also used this high-level platform to speak once again about the consequences of the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan in September 2020.
"The crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan, have significantly affected Armenia's implementation of its climate commitments. Large-scale attacks with white phosphorus-containing termite substances used by the Azerbaijan’s armed forces have caused irreversible damage to the environment and ecosystem at the regional level, from wildfires to persistent pollution of the atmosphere, lands and water systems.

Even in this difficult period for the country, Armenia is expanding cooperation to be involved in the global agenda, as well as to join together the society around climate targets. This approach implies not only the proclamation of ambitious climate goals, but also the rethinking of economic development models, encouraging the transition to a more sustainable, low-carbon economy in an effort to avoid a catastrophic climate trajectory.
 The latter is clearly formulated in the updated  Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) for 2020. The low carbon transition is based on Armenia's energy independence, energy security, green growth, and our vision is to adapt to an ecosystem approach, reforestation, energy conservation, and renewable energy development.
As a landlocked developing country, Armenia highly  appreciates the essential of international assistance to develop and implement a climate policy. This support has a significant contribution in terms of our country's climate change and sustainable development, in line with the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, in respect of fulfilling Armenia's commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change”: said the Minister.