"Armenia and CIHEAM Bari: Development and Collaboration Prospects" by Carlo Coppola
Rome, July 21, 2026 – From agriculture to food security, from training to sustainable development: Armenia and Italy are exploring new areas of collaboration and looking to CIHEAM Bari as a potential strategic partner. This was the focus of the meeting held on July 21 at the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Italy, in Rome, between Armenia's Deputy Minister of Economy Anushik Avetyan, the Director of the Investment Support Center Foundation, Gohar Abajyan, and a delegation from CIHEAM Bari led by Director Biagio Di Terlizzi. The meeting was attended by the Embassy staff, led by the potential Ambassador Extraordinary of the Republic of Armenia to Italy, H.E. Vladimir Karapetyan, and by the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Armenia in Bari, Dr. Dario Rupen Timurian, who traveled especially from the Apulian capital, as head of the Apulian delegation and facilitator.
At the heart of the discussion was the possibility of putting to use in Armenia the expertise CIHEAM Bari has built up across the Mediterranean and numerous countries around the world. Representatives of the organization outlined its structure, objectives and main areas of activity, presenting programs and initiatives developed in the fields of training, applied research, sustainable agriculture, natural resource management and rural development.
This wealth of expertise could find a new field of application in Armenia. The country, engaged in modernizing its economy and strengthening its agricultural and agri-food supply chains, is looking with growing interest to international cooperation, specialized training and innovation as tools to support growth and attract new investment.
The discussion then turned to the prospects for more structured collaboration, exploring the possibility of launching joint programs and, above all, of establishing a stable, long-term institutional presence for CIHEAM Bari in Armenia.
This prospect could open up new opportunities for the transfer of knowledge and expertise, involving institutions, universities, research centers and the productive sector. It is a prospect of particular significance for relations between Italy and Armenia as well — traditionally grounded in deep cultural and historical ties, but now increasingly oriented toward new forms of economic and scientific cooperation.
At the conclusion of the meeting, it was agreed to draft a preliminary project, built on the priorities identified by the Armenian side and on CIHEAM Bari's specialized expertise. The project could serve as the basis for a subsequent operational phase and for the possible launch of concrete initiatives involving the organization.
The Rome meeting could thus mark the beginning of a path aimed at strengthening the bridge between the Mediterranean and the Caucasus — a bridge built not only on diplomatic relations, but on knowledge, training, innovation and development: tools through which Italy and Armenia can build a forward-looking cooperation.
Carlo Coppola
