On August 27, in Yerevan, the annual conference of MFA apparatus and heads of diplomatic service abroad commenced which is entitled “Values in action: Armenia’s interests in a changing world.” Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan delivered opening remarks at the conference. 

Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan addressed the participants of the conference. 

During the first day of the conference, four-panel discussions dedicated to the priorities of the foreign policy of Armenia and three fundamental principles were held.

The first of the panel discussions on the topic “Looking at External Challenges of National Security of Armenia” was chaired by Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Foreign Minister of Armenia. Following speakers also delivered speeches during the panel: Artur Vanetsyan, Director of the National Security Service of Armenia, Armen Papikyan, Ambassador of Armenia to Austria and Permanent Representative of Armenia to the OSCE and the UN office in Vienna, Varuzhan Nersesyan, Ambassador of Armenia to the United States of America, Armen Ghevondyan, Ambassador of Armenia to the Republic of Belarus, and Karen Mirzoyan, Ambassador-at-large of Armenia. During the discussion, the participants exchanged views on the challenges Armenia faces and the steps to be taken in the context of global and regional developments. The impact of global processes on the implementation and maintenance of the consistency of the foreign policy of Armenia was touched upon.

The second discussion was chaired by Shavarsh Kocharyan, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia. The speakers of the discussion - Davit Tonoyan, Minister of Defense of Armenia,  Ashot Hovakimyan, Ambassador of Armenia to Czech Republic, Gagik Ghalachyan, Ambassador of Armenia to Kazakhstan, Davit Virabyan, Head of the department of Eurasian Region of the MFA of Armenia,  Armen Yedigaryan, Head of the Department of International Security of the MFA of Armenia and Arsen Avagyan, Head of the Neighboring Countries Department of the MFA of Armenia. The main threats of maintaining military-political balance in the region, the ways and perspectives of overcoming those threats were comprehensively touched upon. 

During the third discussion entitled “The Region at the Crossroads of Transport and Energy Communications”, the participants touched upon the opportunities opening up for Armenia at the crossroads of regional energy and transport communications, as well as the prospects for Armenia's economic development cooperation. The panel was chaired by Grigor Hovhannisyan, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia. As speakers, Tigran Avinyan, Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia, Suren Papikyan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures of Armenia, Artashes Tumanyan, Ambassador of Armenia to the  Islamic Republic of Iran, Sergey Minasyan, Ambassador of Armenia to Romania, Mnatsakan Safaryan, the Head of North-East Asia Division of the Asia Pacific Department delivered remarks. 

The first day of the conference was concluded with the fourth discussion on “The opportunities of broadening foreign economic engagement of Armenia”. The speakers of the panel were Mher Grigoryan, Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia, Nerses Yeritsyan, Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia, Levon Mazmanyan, Adviser of the Prime Minister of Armenia, Tatul Margaryan, Head of the Mission of Armenia to the European Union, Vardan Toghanyan, Ambassador of Armenia to the Russian Federation, and Armen Martirosyan, Ambassador of Armenia to India. The discussion was led by Avet Adonts, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia. Participants exchanged views on the perspectives of broadening the economic engagement of Armenia.