Statement by Ambassador Andranik Hovhannisyan at the 32nd OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum Concluding Meeting: “Strengthening security and stability in the OSCE area through anticipating technologies and science-based diplomacy”

10 September, 2026

Mr. Chairperson,

Armenia thanks the Swiss Chairpersonship and the OSCE Co-Ordinator of Economic and Environmental Activities for organizing this Forum, as well as the Czech Republic for its hospitality.

The Economic and Environmental Forum remains an important platform for dialogue and the exchange of views within the OSCE’s second dimension.

We appreciate the opportunity provided to our Delegation to present at this Forum Armenia’s preparations and priorities as the incoming Presidency of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. We are happy to announce that the OSCE has been granted an observer status at COP17.

Mr. Chairperson,

We commend the Swiss Chairpersonship for its focus on anticipating technologies and science-based diplomacy, as well as for organizing a valuable series of discussions on this increasingly important subject.

Anticipation lies at the foundation of the OSCE’s core objectives, including early warning and conflict prevention. Technological developments are advancing at a pace that can exceed the capacity of institutions to fully comprehend and effectively address their implications. We therefore need to strengthen our collective ability to keep pace with technological change and harness the potential of innovation and science diplomacy to enhance our capacity to anticipate and address emerging challenges.

New technologies offer significant opportunities. At the same time, their misuse can create security risks. With its comprehensive concept of security, the OSCE is well placed to address this duality. Technological transformation affects all three dimensions of the Organization’s work and therefore requires an integrated, cross-dimensional and human-centered approach. Enhanced cooperation with scientific institutions, academia, and the private sector remains equally indispensable.

Mr. Chairperson,

The ICT sector contributes around seven per cent of the GDP of Armenia. Recently we have launched Firebird AI Factory that provides high-performance computing capacity for research and innovation. Armenia is pursuing an ambitious transformation of its economy by expanding hi-tech and innovation-driven sectors. Such transformation requires a peaceful regional environment, diversified transport routes, enhanced trade facilitation and stronger digital connectivity.

In this context, the establishment of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity has been an important milestone. This initiative has considerable potential to enhance regional connectivity and create new economic opportunities, while contributing to lasting peace, stability and prosperity in the South Caucasus.

Mr. Chairperson,

Looking ahead, the OSCE should further support capacity-building, strategic foresight and the responsible development and use of emerging technologies, while ensuring that technological progress contributes to greater inclusion and does not create new inequalities or deepen existing divides.

Thank you.

MFA RA
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