Minister of Environment Hakob Simidyan and Deputy Minister Aram Meimaryan met the Head of Development Cooperation at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Lidija Christmann, Regional Director of the German bank KfW Birgit Holderid-Kressy and the representative of the bank in Armenia Zara Chatinyan.
Welcoming colleagues at the Ministry of Environment, Minister Hakob Simidyan once again touched upon
There is a two-month effective cooperation between the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany.
The Minister thanked for the constant contribution and assistance in the field of environmental management and development, especially the protection of specially protected natural areas and biodiversity.
In his speech, the Minister touched upon the grant program “Support Program for Protected Areas-Armenia”, implemented with the financial support of KfW, which is aimed at strengthening the capabilities and improving the management of 7 specially protected areas (VGPs) of Syunik region, as well as improving the socio-economic situation of 32 communities in the buffer zone of the aforementioned VGPs.
The EU4Sevan environmental protection program of Lake Sevan, funded by the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of the EU and Germany, was also touched upon.
The Deputy Minister coordinating this area, Aram Meimaryan, thanked his colleagues for their attention to specially protected natural areas and informed that the Ministry has now begun the process of mapping and analyzing programs and their results implemented by international donor organizations, the purpose of which is to make more targeted and effective reforms carried out with the assistance of international organizations in the field of the environment Wednesday.
The program "Biodiversity and sustainable local development in Armenia", which will ensure the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in areas rich in biodiversity, was also discussed during the meeting. The duration of the program is 8 years.
The total budget of the grant program is about 26 million euros, provided by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (BMZ) through KfW.
The Minister presented the identified problems, in the direction of which clear work should be carried out within the framework of the program.
The volume of financial support is unprecedented in the region and is one of the largest globally. Based on the need for effective conservation and sustainable use of Armenia's rich and unique biodiversity, the implementation of the program becomes even more important and may become a turning point in terms of solving existing problems in the field, as well as establishing a qualitatively new benchmark for the management of specially protected natural territories.
At the end of the meeting, the parties expressed their readiness to contribute to the successful course of joint programs. An agreement was reached to discuss the program "Biodiversity and sustainable local development in Armenia" in more detail and punctually through separate meetings.
The Minister expressed hope that the successful course of joint programs will create a solid foundation for the transfer of bilateral cooperation to a broader field, and also expressed his determination and readiness to make every possible effort to bring international cooperation in the field of the environment to a new, higher level.