Working Visit of Queen Mathilde to the Republic of Armenia — Day 2

Queen Mathilde is undertaking a working visit to the Republic of Armenia in her capacity as Advocate for the UN Sustainable Development Goals. On the second day of her visit, the Queen visited Norashen National Park, where the United Nations Development Programme and local authorities are joining forces to safeguard a 140,000-hectare site. She then officially launched a reforestation project led by the My Forest Armenia association.

On her way to the next stop, Queen Mathilde visited a unique place where tradition and taste converge — a venue entirely dedicated to lavash, the ancient Armenian bread.

In Armenia, the school enrolment rate for children under the age of five remains relatively low, particularly in rural areas. The Armenian authorities, in partnership with UNICEF, are working to expand access to early childhood education by establishing new nursery schools and training qualified educational staff. The Queen visited a nursery school in Tsaghkunk that was fully renovated by UNICEF and subsequently handed over to the local authorities.

The Queen then visited the Avan Centre for Mental Health, where she learned about the wide range of therapeutic services offered — including residential and outpatient care, psychotherapy, and art therapy. At the end of the day, the Queen discussed the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in Armenia with the Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, at the Government House in Yerevan.