Washington Declaration strengthens Armenia’s resilience to external challenges – Security Council Secretary

Armenia’s Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan stated that the 2025 Washington peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan has increased Armenia’s ability to withstand challenges and negative impacts stemming from the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Grigoryan expressed this view during a panel discussion at the Delphi Economic Forum held in Greece, referring to developments in the Middle East, particularly around Iran, and their impact on Armenia.

“We saw the imminent war (ed.: between the US, Israel and Iran). We observed not only publicly available information, but also details reflected in other reports. I wouldn’t say it was obvious, but the course of events was leading toward war,” Grigoryan said.

The Secretary of the Security Council emphasized that the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have a negative impact on the South Caucasus, adding that Armenia has actively worked to establish peace.

According to Grigoryan, it was precisely to minimize these negative effects that Armenia moved toward the initialing of a peace agreement with Azerbaijan and, more broadly, toward peace.

“Thanks to this active work and progress toward peace, we reached the Washington Declaration and initialed the peace agreement with Azerbaijan, which has brought real peace to our region. This has also increased our ability to confront challenges stemming from the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East,” he said.

Grigoryan also noted that Armenia, like the rest of the world, is feeling the impact of disruptions related to the Strait of Hormuz, adding that the government is working to mitigate these effects.

He highlighted that economic cooperation with Azerbaijan has influenced the situation, including the import of oil products to Armenia, which initially led to a decrease in fuel prices.

"However, due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, fuel prices have increased again, reaching levels recorded in October last year, he said, noting that the overall impact has been minimized as much as possible.''

Grigoryan added that Armenia’s agricultural sector has also been affected, forcing the government to subsidize farmers.