How Armenia Attracts Mining Investments: Vardan Jhanyan to Mining.com.au

Vardan Jhanyan, President of the Armenian Mining and Metallurgy Association, gave an interview to the Mining.com.au YouTube channel during the FMF-2026 International Forum in the capital of Saudi Arabia, Al Riyadh.

The full interview is presented below.

I’m very pleased to be sitting here wit I’m very pleased to be sitting here wit Vardan Jianan. He’s the head of the Armenia n Mining and Metallurgy Association. Now,welcome. I understand it’s also your first time participating at the future minerals forum this year. Can you tell us what has brought you here, Vardan, and what you’re hoping to achieve?

_Okay, thank you for having me here and uh yes we it’s first experience for Armenia to participate is this huge event. Actually we mostly participates in the London future minerals conference and for us this regional event it’s maybe will become more important because Saudi is in middle east and we are very close to Middle East.

We are between Middle East, Europe, Russia. So it’s a we are in some in between region and for us this experience very important and here in our delegation also represented by government by deputy minister. So it’s very important to be here to have this experience and maybe continue and develop our participation in thisevent for next years.

Yes, you do have a fantastic high level delegation here. Can you tell me more about therelationship between Saudi Arabia and Armenia, particularly when it comes to mining, minerals, metals, and also I know Armenia is hosting COP 17 later this year. So maybe you’re looking around and getting some inspiration about these large global events.

_Yes, correct. It’s Armenia have not yet big relationship with Saudi, only starting and at for us it’s a big opportunity because having so big economy near to us with very low economic relations it’s it does that’s mean that we can create and develop it and there is a huge opportunity and as you said that we have a big event in Armenia this year and during such event it’s comparable with this event here. So yes, we will learn a lot during these three days.

We will take some experience we as association andthe government and implement in Armenia and second one for us is very important what Saudi kingdom doing in mining industry because they doing a lot they investing a lot in that industry and such experience of opening mining industry for a new investors it’s a very good example for Armenia because as we know Armenia is emphasising that new high quality investors needed for Armenia.

So this experience how to attract good investors to country it will be very useful for Armenia and we learn and should learn from Saudi in this area.

And finally, Vardan, can you tell me what do you expect will be the outcomes from your participation here for the Armenian Mining Association?

_There’s many different outcomes starting for ideas, new ideas because here it’s not only about how things doing currently but what will be next new ideas new developments in mining industry best practices that will be implemented in the future. So first ideas second it’s a good network because all the best people persons are here now globally who represent mining industry.

Having this network is very important because actually co-working and it’s not mining industry it’s like commodity industry it’s a it’s a there is no big competition for a market market it’s the very big demand for metals. Actually it’s competition. It’s not about competition. It’s about working together.

So sharing experience, sharing knowledge. In this thing we have good met good people here who have big experience in mining and we also invite many of them to Armenia to participate to COP and also we have big regional mining forum in Armenia and we also invite them to Armenia because this kind of working together things will create big environment for Armenia and for our friends.

Hopefully this networks and idea will create good future for mining in Armenia and and in the region.

Actually I do have an extra question. Could you tell our investors watching from overseas who don’t know much about the Armenian jurisdiction for mining? What would you say are the highlights about it?

_It’s a very long time, but I will say one thing which many investor we are could understand yes and now here business as I am representing business and association and the government deputy minister coming together I think for investor this good relationship and the open relationship between business and government can show how good environment for business we have in Armenia because when government understand what needed for a business for developing and they cooperate with business i it’s a create good healthy environment for investors so we have that enviro.