June

Presentation of the "Archaeological Guide on Garni"

On June 17, Swiss archaeologist and philologist Armenuhi Magarditchian came forward with the second presentation of her book “Archaeological Guide on Garni” proudly financed by the Embassy and Swiss Humanitarian Foundation KASA.
After holding her first presentation in the capital city Yerevan last year, this time around, Armenuhi presented her work in Garni. Armenuhi was much willing to introduce her work to the people of this small but culturally active city, where her studies of the temple originate from. The Embassy was happy to support the event, offering a wide selection of foods, enriched with a variety of Swiss cheese and wines.

Swiss Musician at the Alexander Arutiunian International Wind Festival

Swiss musician David Bruchez (trombone) performed the A. Arutiunian-Trombone Concerto at this years' Alexander Arutiunian International Wind Festival.
The Embassy had the pleasure to support the festival with a sponsorship.

May

Working Breakfast with a Group of Swiss Nationals

The Embassy hosted a 12-member group of Swiss nationals for a working breakfast, where the discussions focused on the multifaceted role that Switzerland holds in Armenia.

We were moved to hear the story of the Armenian roots of the delegation’s head, whose great-grandfather came from Vardablur village, Lori province of Armenia. In this region, Swiss cooperation has been active for more than 30 years, since the rescue operations of the devastating earthquake that hit Spitak in 1988. Currently, Switzerland is engaged in the livestock development of the province, with the “Livestock Development in Armenia: South-North” project.

April

International Veterinarian Day in Yerevan

From April 25-26, on the occasion of the International Veterinarian Day, by the joint efforts of the Strategic Development Agency NGO and the Food Security Inspectorate, a conference in Yerevan, as well as seminars, lectures and discussions were organized in the regions of Armenia.

The events were made possible with the support of the Swiss funded "Livestock Development in Armenia, South-North" project implemented by the Strategic Development Agency NGO with the financial support of the Austrian Development Agency and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

“Transformation of Time Through Art”

To get the audience detached from the reality during the performance “Transformation of Time Through Art” was the main idea of Anna Harutyunyan, the mastermind behind this Swiss funded cultural project.

Based on ancient traditions of the world, the honored artist of Armenia Anna Harutyunyan combined her previous artworks with textile design, creating a new collection of clothes with elements of ancient Armenian culture. The one-of-a-kind fashion show, which took place on April 26, was enriched with the use of graphic animations and emerging techno music.

“Livestock Development in Armenia: South –North” Steering Committee

To present the areas of the implemented project interventions and to discuss the results with stakeholders, the second Steering Committee meeting of the Swiss funded project “Livestock Development in Armenia: South –North” took place on 25th of April in the Shirak Regional Government Office.

Representatives from RA Minisrty of Agriculture, RA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development, representatives from Lori, Shirak, Gegharkunik and Tavush Regional Government Offices, and representatives from donor organizations and other relevant bodies took part in the event.

The Project targets over 100,000 households involved in cattle breeding, actors of milk and meat value chains and local self- governing bodies of 100 rural settlements of Shirak, Lori, Tavush and Gegharkunik marzes.

The Project is implemented by the “Strategic Development Agency” (SDA) NGO and is financed by the Austrian Development Agency the operational unit of Austrian Development Cooperation, and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

Ambassador Lazzarotto Receives “Die Runde”

Ambassador Stefano Lazzarotto welcomed over 40 members of “Die Runde” (the roundtable) to a reception held at the Swiss residence. The day was unforgettable. Not even the storm, which unexpectedly hit us right in the middle of the gathering, could drown the enthusiasm of our guests.

Not being discouraged by the weather conditions, this group of prominent Swiss academicians, diplomats, businessmen and journalists enjoyed their interaction with local guests, including members of the Armenian authorities, foreign ambassadors and the Swiss, Armenian business community, with Swiss wine and delicious catering. Gathering once a year in different locations of Europe and Middle East, this “mobile” think-tank focuses on current developments in economy and international policies. Some of the previous destinations of “Die Runde” have been Muscat, Athens, Kiev, Tbilisi, Doha and Dublin.

In addition, the reception served as a closing event for the “Life of Mine” exhibition, which we have proudly displayed over the course of the past month, starting from April 4, the International Mine Awareness Day.

Ambassador Stefano Lazzarotto meets RA Minister of Education and Science Araik Harutyunyan

On April 17, meeting the RA Minister of Education and Science Araik Harutyunyan, Ambassador Stefano Lazzarotto underlined that while education is not among the two domains of intervention in Armenia, it still carries important elements contributing to the realization of the Swiss Cooperation Strategy in the South Caucasus 2017-2020. He also enquired about the interest of RA in vocational training.

In addition, Ambassador Lazzarotto was happy to inform the Minister that this year two Armenian students have been awarded Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships to pursue their postgraduate studies in Swiss Universities.

In his turn, Minister Harutyunyan outlined his visions about reforms in the Educational sector and was confident that the ongoing process in the field of education in RA will provide new opportunities for Armenian-Swiss educational cooperation.

Photo Exhibition "Life of Mine"

On the International Day of Mine Awareness, April 4, we launched the photo exhibition "Life of Mine", which was on display, near the entrance of the Embassy for more than a month.

This exhibition showed the manifold impact that explosive remnants of war have on communities, shedding a light on the people whose lives have been impacted by explosive hazards or who dedicate their lives to eliminating them.

The exhibition is created thanks to the efforts of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining - GICHD. GICHD works towards keeping communities safe from the risks stemming from explosive ordnance. They support their partners around the world to save lives and restore livelihoods. By offering workshops and training courses, developing concepts, methods and tools and promoting the effective and efficient use of resources, the Centre supports the ultimate goals of mine action: saving lives, returning land to productive use and promoting development. The GICHD is located in Geneva, Switzerland.

March

Swiss Movies “Win Win” and “Les Dames” Screenings

On March 13th, our guests joined us at the screenings of the two Swiss movies “Win Win” and “Les Dames” organized in the framework of the Festival du cinéma francophone 2019.

We started this cinematic day with presenting the film "Win Win" by director Claudio Tonetti. The movie told the comedic story of two friends Paul Girard and Liu, who had the ambitious plan of organizing the Miss China semifinal in Switzerland. In between the screenings, Ambassador Stefano Lazzarotto held a reception, offering a wide selection of dishes, enriched with a variety of Swiss cheese and wines, to the film enthusiasts of Yerevan. Exploring the touching stories of five Swiss ladies through the documentary “Les Dames” concluded the day with a success.

Swiss Delegation of Young Parliamentarians visits the Embassy

The 89th International Session of the European Youth Parliament kicked off in Yerevan in March.
The Ambassador Stefano Lazzarotto and his staff welcomed the Swiss delegation of young parliamentarians to the Embassy, familiarizing them with Switzerland’s mission and activities in Armenia.

February

Ambassador Stefano Lazzarotto meets Ararat Mirzoyan

Meeting the Ambassador of Switzerland to Armenia Stefano Lazzarotto, Ararat Mirzoyan, the head of the legislative body of Armenia, assured that the newly-elected parliament is ready to further expand the Armenian-Swiss cooperation framework and further deepen it.
Highly appreciating the current level of cooperation between the two countries, Ambassador Lazzarotto highlighted the active cooperation between the two countries.

Ambassador Stefano Lazzarotto meets PM Nikol Pashinyan

The Ambassador of Switzerland to Armenia Stefano Lazzarotto and RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Friday, February 15.

The discussions focused on issues related to the Swiss-Armenian cooperation agenda. Reaffirming the willingness to continue the joint programs, the sides touched upon the opportunities for cooperation in different areas. As such, are the areas for agriculture, water resource management, resort tourism, nature protection, pharmacy and a number of other possible spheres. An agreement has been reached to establish contacts between the relevant state bodies.