Dr. Pramod Jaiswal, Senior Fellow at INIS participated at the Yerevan Dialogue. During the visit, he also delivered a lecture at Russian-Armenian University on Shifting Dynamics of South Asian Geopolitics on 9th September.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the Republic of Armenia organized the first edition of Yerevan Dialogue 2024 on 9-11 September in collaboration with the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in Yerevan, the Armenian capital city. The Dialogue was inaugurated by the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Armenian MFA Ararat Mirzoyan. Prime Minister Pashinyan presented his administration’s Crossroads of Peace project at the Yerevan Dialogue forum during his inaugural speech.

The dialogue hosted more than 170 participants from across the globe from a diverse group of stakeholders including the heads of state and academics. The event addresses five thematic pillars of conversations, namely: The Emerging International Order, Connectivity, Green Transitions and the Future of Energy, Digital Societies as Stable, Safe Economic Engines and the Future of Work.

On September 10, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan met with Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Hassan Sheikholeslami. During the meeting, they discussed various bilateral issues and regional developments. Mirzoyan expressed appreciation for Iran’s participation in the “Yerevan Dialogue” international forum and the exchange of views that took place. Both sides highlighted the importance of continued cooperation based on their high-level political dialogue and mutual interests. They also addressed regional matters, including efforts to establish lasting stability and peace in the South Caucasus. Mirzoyan specifically mentioned the peace process with Azerbaijan and stressed the need for respect for key principles of the “Crossroads of Peace” project, including territorial integrity and sovereignty. He commended Iran’s strong stance on these issues.

The dialogue discussed the ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed optimism about achieving lasting peace in the South Caucasus. He highlighted progress in treaty negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with about 80% of the draft treaty agreed upon. He proposed signing the agreed sections while continuing discussions on unresolved issues, which include establishing diplomatic relations and a mechanism for ongoing dialogue.

The three-day event had several sessions on important issues such as South Caucasus at the Crossroads: Between Fragmentation and Cooperation; Geopolitics of Connectivity: From Competition to Collaboration, Digital Public Infrastructure: Debating Best Practices for a Global Good, A Global Order in Churn: Seeking Solutions, This Room is, for, and by the Youth: Re-drawing the Future of Politics, Economics, and Policy, Climate Security in the Era of Uncertainty, Chronicling New Conflicts: Technology and Traditionalism at Today’s Battlefields, Strengthening Multiculturalism in a Divided World, AI: A Boom for Emerging Markets?, Crossroads of Business Opportunities, Debating a New Phoenix: The Global South and a Renewed World Order, Emerging Security Challenges for Small and Medium-Sized States in the Modern Era, Rethinking Energy Transitions: Powering Tomorrow’s Growth and Multilateralism of Democracies: How Small and Medium Democracies can Strengthen Each Other`s Resilience.