On October 1st, within the framework of the “Socio-Economic Integration of Refugees in Armenia” (SEIRA) project, a multi-stakeholder facilitating meeting was held in the Chambarak community of Gegharkunik region. The event aimed to facilitate constructive dialogue between key actors in the agricultural value chain and refugee beneficiaries.
Participants included local milk collectors, representatives of a regional slaughterhouse, a veterinarian and insemination specialist, as well as forcibly displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh who have received support through SEIRA. Also in attendance were refugee farmers and individuals exploring opportunities in agriculture and interested in project’s assistance.
Vahe Hovhannisyan, SEIRA Project Manager, outlined the core objectives of the meeting:
- To identify key barriers to collaboration and unlock development opportunities;
- To establish sustainable, mutually beneficial partnerships between stakeholders;
- And to provide targeted support through SEIRA to strengthen and institutionalize these connections.
Such dialogue-based engagements create meaningful platforms for:
📌 Building trust-based cooperation,
📌 Enabling the full economic inclusion of refugees in host communities,
📌 Harnessing agricultural potential as a driver of sustainable integration.
These meetings represent a significant step not only toward economic integration, but also toward strengthening social cohesion – transforming crisis into a pathway for long-term development and opportunity.
The “Socio-Economic Integration of Refugees in Armenia” (SEIRA) project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and implemented by the Strategic Development Agency NGO and the UN World Food Programme.