Yerevan Schools Close, Roads Restricted as Armenia Hosts COP17, Welcoming 15,000 Visitors

Thousands of schoolchildren in Yerevan are getting an extended autumn break, government offices are shifting to remote work, and police are restricting traffic across the capital as Armenia prepares to host more than 15,000 international visitors for a major United Nations environmental conference.

The disruptions began days before the official opening of COP17, the U.N. biodiversity summit scheduled for October 19-30. World leaders have already started arriving in Yerevan for a separate high-level gathering on October 16, bringing additional security measures and temporary road closures.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Thursday that more than 15,000 people were expected to arrive in Armenia during October for the conference. The event will bring together government delegations, scientists and environmental organizations to discuss the protection of the world's ecosystems and wildlife.

For Yerevan residents, preparations have meant changes to school calendars, commuting routes and public services.

Public schools throughout the capital will suspend regular classes from October 19 through October 30. To make up for the missed days, students and teachers have been attending Saturday classes for five consecutive weeks, beginning in September.

The Ministry of Education's decision effectively doubled the usual autumn break, leaving working parents to arrange childcare for an additional week. The changes apply to public schools across Yerevan, including those far from the Meridian Expo Center, where the conference will take place.

Some schools have made separate arrangements. The Mkhitar Sebastatsi Educational Complex, for example, announced that students in grades 1-12 would study online for part of the conference period, while other activities would continue under modified schedules.

Traffic restrictions have also begun across the city.

Police announced intermittent road closures on October 15 and 16 to accommodate foreign delegations traveling between Zvartnots International Airport, government buildings, hotels and conference venues.

Among the affected routes are Mashtots and Baghramyan avenues, Abovyan, Teryan and Nalbandyan streets, Republic Square, Victory Bridge and Isakov Avenue.

Restrictions on October 15 were scheduled to continue intermittently from 6 a.m. until 11 p.m., with further measures planned for October 16 between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Police have urged residents to avoid unnecessary car trips, use public transportation and plan alternative routes.

The government is also reducing the number of employees commuting into central Yerevan.

Pashinyan announced in September that public servants whose duties allow it would work remotely during parts of the conference. Armenia's Human Rights Defender's Office has already confirmed remote working days for October 16, 27 and 28, while keeping its hotline and other services operational.

Even some public health services are being affected. Mobile vaccination stations at Vernissage and Freedom Square will suspend operations on several dates between October 15 and 30 because of conference-related activities.

There has been no confirmed general order requiring private businesses to close or their employees to work from home.

The preparations come as Armenia welcomes some of the region's most senior political figures.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Yerevan on October 15 and met with Pashinyan ahead of the October 16 Leaders' Summit.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze also arrived Thursday. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to attend the summit.

Other visiting officials include Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, Algerian National Council President Azouz Nasri and International Organization of La Francophonie Secretary-General Louise Mushikiwabo.

Armenian officials say more than 50 high-level participants have registered for the Leaders' Summit, including more than a dozen heads of state or government.

The Convention on Biological Diversity has 196 parties, although authorities have not confirmed that all will send delegations to Yerevan. Pashinyan has said Turkey will participate,On October 15, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told reporters: “I know that there will be participation from Türkiye at the ministerial level.”  While Azerbaijan's attendance remains unconfirmed.

Hosting the international gathering has also required substantial government spending.

Environment Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan said the contract for the Meridian Expo Center, the main conference venue, was worth approximately 7.5 billion drams, or $21 million. The government has separately allocated about 2.64 billion drams, or $7.24 million, from its reserve fund for preparations.

Together, the reported amounts represent more than $28 million, although the full cost of hosting the conference has not been independently established, and it remains unclear whether the figures include overlapping expenses.

The government has promoted COP17 as an opportunity to strengthen Armenia's international standing and bring global attention to environmental issues.

The conference will focus on international commitments to protect biodiversity, restore damaged ecosystems and halt the decline of plant and animal species. Governments will also review progress toward environmental targets set for 2030.

For Armenia, hosting the gathering places the country at the center of discussions about environmental protection at a time when it faces its own challenges, including habitat loss, water management and the environmental consequences of regional conflict.

The government has not publicly provided a comprehensive assessment of the economic and social costs of the disruptions.

As international delegations gather in Yerevan, residents are already adjusting their routines to accommodate the summit. Whether the conference's long-term benefits will outweigh the immediate inconvenience and public expense remains to be seen.

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