Armenia–United Kingdom Business Forum 2026 creates new opportunities for bilateral cooperation

The inaugural Armenia–United Kingdom Business Forum was held in Yerevan with the aim of creating new opportunities for bilateral cooperation.

The topics under discussion covered a wide range, from capital and investment to artificial intelligence, education and culture. The forum brought together around 2,000 participants on one platform, including representatives of the Government of the Republic of Armenia, the Central Bank, international financial and development institutions, business circles, the British diplomatic mission, leading companies, educational and scientific institutions, with the aim of turning bilateral cooperation into new practical ties and initiatives.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in his remarks that holding the forum was logical following the signing in May this year of the memorandum establishing a strategic partnership between Armenia and the United Kingdom.

“After establishing such a partnership, the primary question that arises for governments is the following: how to turn that political will, which is expressed through the adopted document or documents, into reality? And the most effective way to resolve this issue is to make the political content discussed between governments part of everyday life. And such forums serve precisely that purpose—to fill the space opened by governments with real life,” Pashinyan said.

PM Pashinyan referred to establishing a railway connection between the Persian Gulf and the Black Sea, implementing the North–South Road project, and, alongside the railway, opening roads in the same east–west direction.

“What I am describing is precisely what the Government of the Republic of Armenia has approved within the framework of the Crossroads of Peace project. Alongside all these communications, of course, possibilities for constructing oil and gas pipelines are already being considered and discussed, and we are also holding concrete discussions on electricity transmission lines. All this means that Armenia and the United Kingdom are becoming closer to each other in terms of transportation, and it is the right time to discuss what opportunities there are that can be utilized,” the Prime Minister said.

British Ambassador to Armenia Alexandra Cole said in her remarks that British expertise is already contributing to some of Armenia’s most ambitious projects.

“When Armenia and the United Kingdom agreed our strategic partnership agreement at the European Political Community in May, you helped set a much more ambitious direction for our economic relationship. Today is about turning that ambition into business, and we already have momentum. Armenia has ambitions; no one can doubt that. The United Kingdom has the relevant experience. The technological potential, capital and ideas of the two countries will help turn our ambitions and experience into real results. And it is not just about individual deals. Partnership is not built on paper; it is built by people. Therefore, we will all have a role to play in this,” Ambassador Cole said.

According to her, the British Council is strengthening ties in the areas of English-language teaching, higher education and employment, which is important for all citizens of Armenia.

“One of our leading programs contributes to the formation of networks of Armenian professionals with close ties to the United Kingdom, which is also of economic importance. Implementing this entire ambitious agenda requires financial support, so I am particularly pleased to welcome our colleagues from the UK Export Finance team here in Yerevan, as part of this forum. This is a significant opportunity to support credible projects and connect them with British goods, services and expertise,” Ambassador Cole said.

Alexander Shaghikyan, Chairman of the Board of the Oxford Alumni Business Club of Armenia, said in his remarks that the forum is built on a simple belief: there is more that Armenia and the United Kingdom can achieve together.

“The United Kingdom has extensive experience in finance, world-class universities and research potential, while Armenia stands out for its entrepreneurial and technological potential and its diaspora. Combining all of this can create real opportunities, from new investments and market access to the commercialization of research results. This is precisely the goal expressed by the forum’s title, ‘Building Bridges for Capital, Talent and Innovation,’” Shaghikyan said.

According to him, the Oxford Alumni Business Club of Armenia organized the forum to leverage international knowledge, experience and relationships for the benefit of Armenia.

The forum also brought together representatives of the public and private sectors, international institutions and professional communities, with the aim of combining various areas of bilateral relations into one practical agenda.

Hayk Karapetyan, Head of the Organizing Committee of the Armenia–United Kingdom Business Forum 2026, noted that there is still significant untapped potential in Armenia–United Kingdom economic relations.

“Our ambition is for this forum to become one of the platforms that will consistently identify this potential and shape new directions on the Armenian–British business agenda,” Karapetyan said.

At the center of the forum’s economic agenda were access to capital, attracting investment and opportunities to enter new markets. Participants in the discussions also included Martin Galstyan, Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia, Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan, and representatives of the EBRD, the World Bank, ICBC Standard Bank and other institutions.

Howard Davies, Chairman of Inigo Insurance Ltd and one of the leading figures in the British financial sector, addressed the prospects for Armenian–British financial and investment cooperation.

“Infrastructure projects are an obvious example: the UK’s export finance agency has agreed to provide funding to support infrastructure development in Armenia. The second area is the insurance world, where London remains the largest global insurance market. And there are signs of cooperation between Armenian companies and the Lloyd’s market,” Davies said.

According to him, investors want to see a commitment to ensuring financial stability, so financial stability, provided through a strong and effectively managed central bank, is perhaps the most important factor.

“I think you have exactly that situation at present. In the foreseeable future, your banking system will most likely be the strongest. However, this implies a banking system with international connections, because banks capable of raising capital in international markets are needed to support domestic development. Therefore, we are talking about banks, but banks that have strong foundations and perhaps are listed on the London Stock Exchange or possibly another European stock exchange, enabling them to raise capital to support growth in lending volumes,” Davies said.

Technological cooperation was another key area of the forum. Alex Connock, Senior Fellow in Management Practice at the Saïd Business School of the University of Oxford, presented the impact of artificial intelligence on the media business and marketing. According to him, artificial intelligence should be used to achieve business objectives, conduct research, perform various tasks and carry out similar activities.

“In the case of a relatively small but highly technology-focused market like Armenia, a small team using AI can achieve the same results as thousands of people. And this, in my view, is a wonderful metaphor for Armenia’s activities itself. A country with a population of 2–3 million can achieve much greater efficiency by using artificial intelligence intelligently and play a more significant role in the global economy. I think this is really a perfect metaphor for everything we are doing today,” Connock said.

The AI & Deep Tech discussion focused on the commercialization of research, the growth of technology companies and opportunities to enter international markets, with the participation of Davit Tadevosyan, Minister of High-Tech Industry and Artificial Intelligence of the Republic of Armenia, as well as representatives of Armenian and international technology companies.

During the forum, particular attention was paid to practical mechanisms for investment and international financing in Armenia. UK Export Finance presented financing opportunities for Armenia, Enterprise Armenia presented investment proposals, while investment opportunities were presented within the framework of Yerevan’s urban development programs. Representatives of Armenian state institutions, the World Bank, the EBRD, UKEF and the private sector participated in discussions on infrastructure, trade and export finance.

The forum’s final discussion was dedicated to cultural heritage, educational ties and cultural diplomacy. Participants included Marios Papadopoulos, founder and music director of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, MBE; Thomas Harrison, a representative of the British Museum; Edward Gibbs, Chairman of Sotheby’s Middle East and India; Michael Erdman, Head of Asian and African Collections at the British Library; Davit Poghosyan, Director of the History Museum of Armenia; and other representatives of the field.

Rose Luckin, founder and CEO of Educate Ventures Research and Honorary Professor at University College London, in turn noted that artificial intelligence should be used intelligently and with a clear purpose.

“The education systems that achieve the best results are those that ensure their teachers are highly qualified and sufficiently informed about artificial intelligence to use it intelligently and carefully and to support learning. When introducing artificial intelligence, it is necessary to clearly define the desired objective and take a strategic approach to ensure that artificial intelligence serves precisely that objective. I think that for a country like Armenia, which has a very good education system, it is really important to build on that strong foundation and use the education system to develop the appropriate capabilities in people so that they can use these tools intelligently,” Luckin said.

The main program concluded with the presentation of the Armenian–British “Bridge Builder” Award, highlighting the importance of building and developing long-term ties between the two countries.

The forum continued with targeted B2B and B2G meetings between delegates from the United Kingdom and Armenian partners. The purpose of the meetings is to develop the connections formed during the forum and explore specific opportunities for business and institutional cooperation.

The Armenia–United Kingdom Business Forum 2026 was organized by the Oxford Alumni Business Club of Armenia (OABCA), in cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Armenia, represented by the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, Enterprise Armenia and the British-Armenian Chamber of Commerce.