On October 21, the groundbreaking ceremony of the Matenadaran Garden took place in front of the main building of the Matenadaran, with the participation of Davit Karapetyan, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Armenia, who delivered welcoming remarks.

Remarks were also delivered by Ara Khzmalyan, Director of the Matenadaran, Ara-Paul Barsam, Executive Director of the Armenia Tree Project Charitable Foundation, and Mher Abrahamyan, Chairman of the Management Board of IDBank.

In his remarks, Davit Karapetyan emphasized that the groundbreaking of the Matenadaran Garden creates a symbolic bridge between Armenia's rich manuscript heritage and living nature. Highlighting the interconnectedness of cultural and natural heritage preservation, Davit Karapetyan noted that both require the consistent engagement of the state, international organizations, the private sector, professional communities and society.

Addressing the role of culture in the international biodiversity conservation agenda, Davit Karapetyan presented the priorities of Armenia's Presidency of the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17). In particular, the Secretary General of the Ministry noted that the Nature and Culture Summit, scheduled for October 24, would bring together representatives of states, international organizations, civil society, indigenous peoples and local communities, women and youth to discuss the contribution of cultural heritage and traditional knowledge to biodiversity conservation and sustainable use.

“The knowledge preserved in medieval manuscripts, the traditions of the Armenian landscape, and contemporary biodiversity conservation goals come together here, highlighting the close interconnection between culture and nature,” said Davit Karapetyan.

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Armenia expressed hope that the newly established garden would become a symbol of responsibility towards nature, preservation of cultural heritage and intergenerational connections.