The 8th and final meeting of the Coordination Council for the “Lake Sevan Environmental Protection” project was held.
The main goal of the meeting was to present the results of the implemented actions, discuss existing strategic issues, identify obstacles to completing the remaining actions, and outline the steps needed to overcome them.
The session began with a welcoming speech by Aram Meymaryan, Deputy Minister of Environment of the RA. The Deputy Minister expressed his gratitude to the partners: the European Union, the Federal Republic of Germany, GIZ, the United Nations Development Program, as well as all local and international partners who have contributed to the implementation of the program over the years.
In his speech, Aram Meymaryan highlighted the achievements of the project, such as improvements in Lake Sevan management capacities, strengthened monitoring mechanisms, the introduction of ecosystem-friendly methods in sustainable land use and agriculture, the implementation of pilot solutions in wastewater management, as well as awareness-raising and educational events that were implemented within the framework of the Project, aimed at raising public awareness of environmental protection.
Aram Meymaryan emphasized that such events not only enhance public awareness, but also help build public consensus around the issues surrounding Lake Sevan.
The Deputy Minister noted that the effective implementation of the program has led to tangible results in terms of cooperation with local communities. He emphasized that the active involvement of these communities has been crucial in protecting the Lake Sevan ecosystem, as they have gained a better understanding of its importance and shown a willingness to support the program’s goals.
The Deputy Minister concluded his speech by acknowledging that many challenges remain, particularly in the area of wastewater management, which will require ongoing efforts.
Frank Hess, Head of the Cooperation Department of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Katrin Buder-Pelz, Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy in Yerevan, Madeleine Rauschenberger, Director of the Armenian Office of GIZ, and Konstantin Sokulsky, UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia, delivered speeches. Alexander Arakelyan, Programme Component Manager for the EU4Sevan project at the GIZ, and Astghik Danielyan, EU4Sevan Project Coordinator, presented the results of the project’s implementation and discussed strategic issues.
During the meeting, the actions that still need to be implemented according to the project's objectives and overall goals were discussed. The partners agreed that ongoing collaboration at all levels - state, international and local - is crucial for the successful completion of the project.

The project is co-funded by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and is implemented under a Multi-Partner Contribution Agreement by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It is part of the EU Action “EU4Energy Efficiency and Environment” and the BMZ-funded programme “Management of Natural Resources and Safeguarding of Ecosystem Services for Sustainable Rural Development in the South Caucasus” (ECOserve).
The project partners include the Ministry of Environment of the RA, the Ministry of Economy of the RA, which oversees the agricultural sector, and the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the RA, responsible for local governance and infrastructure.