The 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) has officially opened in Yerevan, Armenia.

During the opening plenary session, Armenia’s Minister of Environment, Hambardzum Matevosyan, was elected president of COP17, assuming responsibility for leading the international community’s joint efforts at the conference, according to news.am.

The event brings together representatives of participating countries to advance international cooperation on biodiversity conservation and address global environmental challenges.