Pashinyan highlights education, environmental protection and career opportunities in mining industry

The Mining Armenia Forum 2025, a conference dedicated to the mining industry, kicked off on Friday in the Armenian resort town of Tsaghkadzor.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan delivered remarks at the event, describing it as a valuable platform for identifying both opportunities and challenges within the sector.

PM Pashinyan emphasized the importance of transparency, education, and professionalism in the industry. He also highlighted the vast career opportunities available for mining professionals in Armenia.

One of the biggest issues in the sector, according to Pashinyan, is the industry’s perceived negative image.

“We must acknowledge that there is quite a bit of negativity accumulated around the mining industry, and we need to understand the reasons for that. Although we have, to some extent, come to understand these reasons over time—because it’s obvious that the subsoil belongs to the people and the state—the problem is that, in Armenia’s public consciousness, this perception hasn’t really seemed true. And it’s time for us to work on this issue. And we are working on this issue.

I want to draw attention to the fact that the Government of Armenia—and, through the Government, the people as well—essentially hold a stake in the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine and in the Amulsar mine. And this is very important,” he said.
The Prime Minister added that between 2018 and 2025, the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine paid about 148% more in taxes compared to the previous seven years.

“The issue here is not just that the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine is increasing revenues for the state budget—although that is very important. What truly matters is reviving and instilling in people the understanding that the subsoil belongs to the people, and that the people and the state are deriving greater benefits from it.

After all, those tax payments are transformed into roads, schools, kindergartens, security, and so on. I consider this fact to be extremely important," Pashinyan said.

He noted that his administration has focused on aligning Armenia’s mining industry with leading international environmental standards.

“This is also a problem. I can’t say that we haven’t done anything in this direction, but changing established traditions or culture is not an easy task—we need to understand this. But, on the other hand, we also have to face the fact that this is a priority—because care for the environment is very important, especially now, during this period, since next year Armenia will be hosting the global COP17 Biodiversity Conference,” he said.

The PM said that the mining industry is a knowledge-based sector, as effective mining requires highly qualified professionals—not just in one, but in many fields.

“What I mean is that mining drives both education and the economy, because operating a mine requires the involvement of many other businesses, and many other forms of economic activity develop as a result.

I want us to pay attention to the fact that mining offers very significant opportunities for people to build professional careers in Armenia. And the more we raise the standards of our mining industry, the more highly qualified professionals we will have,” the Prime Minister added.